Core Ultra 7 265U vs Ryzen 7 5825U

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 265U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 14W instead of 15W, a 1W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,900 vs 18,050).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 7 5825U

2022

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 265U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 265U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 265U

2025

Ryzen 7 5825U

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 14W instead of 15W, a 1W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,900 vs 18,050).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 265U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 265U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 265U better than Ryzen 7 5825U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 7 265U is ahead with a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5825U pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 5825U also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5825U is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core Ultra 7 265U still looks like the safer overall buy. Core Ultra 7 265U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 10.3% 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 265U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of FP6. 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 265U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5825U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265U	Ryzen 7 5825U
1080p
low	278 FPS	173 FPS
medium	249 FPS	149 FPS
high	210 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	148 FPS
medium	186 FPS	125 FPS
high	153 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	82 FPS
medium	131 FPS	74 FPS
high	102 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265U Open Ryzen 7 5825U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265U	Ryzen 7 5825U
1080p
low	448 FPS	236 FPS
medium	372 FPS	201 FPS
high	327 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	156 FPS
1440p
low	415 FPS	203 FPS
medium	344 FPS	179 FPS
high	303 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	256 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	310 FPS	140 FPS
medium	268 FPS	127 FPS
high	249 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265U Open Ryzen 7 5825U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265U	Ryzen 7 5825U
1080p
low	448 FPS	451 FPS
medium	448 FPS	451 FPS
high	448 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	426 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	451 FPS
medium	448 FPS	437 FPS
high	448 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	324 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	375 FPS
medium	448 FPS	316 FPS
high	415 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	348 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265U Open Ryzen 7 5825U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265U	Ryzen 7 5825U
1080p
low	448 FPS	451 FPS
medium	448 FPS	451 FPS
high	448 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	451 FPS
medium	448 FPS	451 FPS
high	448 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	451 FPS
medium	448 FPS	451 FPS
high	448 FPS	402 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	345 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265U Open Ryzen 7 5825U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 265U and Ryzen 7 5825U

Core Ultra 7 265U

The Core Ultra 7 265U 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 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: 17,900 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 5825U

The Ryzen 7 5825U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,050 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 265U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5825U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 7 265U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.3 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 265U versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5825U — a 16.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 265U uses the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5825U uses Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 265U scores 17,900 against the Ryzen 7 5825U's 18,050 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 5825U. L3 cache: 12 MB on the Core Ultra 7 265U vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5825U.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265U	Ryzen 7 5825U
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+18%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	—	512K (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-U (2025)	Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023)
PassMark	17,900	18,050

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 265U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 5825U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.