Core Ultra 7 255U vs Ryzen 7 4800HS

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core Ultra 7 255U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 35W, a 21W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,834 vs 18,016).

Ryzen 7 4800HS

2020

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 255U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌150% higher power demand at 35W vs 14W.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 255U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 255U

2025

Ryzen 7 4800HS

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 35W, a 21W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,834 vs 18,016).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 255U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌150% higher power demand at 35W vs 14W.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 255U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 255U better than Ryzen 7 4800HS?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 7 255U is ahead with a 27.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4800HS pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark. Core Ultra 7 255U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4800HS is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core Ultra 7 255U still looks like the safer overall buy. Core Ultra 7 255U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 27.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core Ultra 7 255U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB). That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core Ultra 7 255U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 4800HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255U	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	292 FPS	173 FPS
medium	256 FPS	141 FPS
high	216 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	243 FPS	148 FPS
medium	192 FPS	119 FPS
high	157 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	69 FPS
medium	134 FPS	60 FPS
high	104 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255U Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255U	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	446 FPS	351 FPS
medium	399 FPS	292 FPS
high	348 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	445 FPS	302 FPS
medium	367 FPS	258 FPS
high	322 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	276 FPS	198 FPS
4K
low	331 FPS	244 FPS
medium	285 FPS	217 FPS
high	265 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	228 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255U Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255U	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	446 FPS	450 FPS
medium	446 FPS	450 FPS
high	446 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	446 FPS	450 FPS
medium	446 FPS	450 FPS
high	446 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	400 FPS
4K
low	446 FPS	445 FPS
medium	446 FPS	377 FPS
high	446 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	271 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255U Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255U	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	446 FPS	450 FPS
medium	446 FPS	450 FPS
high	446 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	446 FPS	450 FPS
medium	446 FPS	450 FPS
high	446 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	401 FPS
4K
low	446 FPS	434 FPS
medium	446 FPS	392 FPS
high	446 FPS	348 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	292 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255U Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 255U and Ryzen 7 4800HS

Core Ultra 7 255U

The Core Ultra 7 255U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 14 MB + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,834 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 4800HS

The Ryzen 7 4800HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,016 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 255U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4800HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 7 255U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 255U versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4800HS — a 21.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 255U (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 255U uses the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4800HS uses Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 255U scores 17,834 against the Ryzen 7 4800HS's 18,016 — a 1% lead for the Ryzen 7 4800HS. L3 cache: 12 MB on the Core Ultra 7 255U vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4800HS.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 255U	Ryzen 7 4800HS
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+24%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+31%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	512 kB (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-U (2025)	Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark	17,834	18,016+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 255U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 4800HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.