Core i5-1250P vs Core Ultra 7 266V

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 i5-1250P

2022

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics (80 EU), while Core Ultra 7 266V needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 266V across 14 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,167 vs 19,274).
❌64.7% higher power demand at 28W vs 17W.

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.4% higher average FPS across 14 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 17W instead of 28W, a 11W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $520 MSRP, while Core i5-1250P mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-1250P can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-1250P

2022

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics (80 EU), while Core Ultra 7 266V needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.4% higher average FPS across 14 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 17W instead of 28W, a 11W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 266V across 14 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,167 vs 19,274).
❌64.7% higher power demand at 28W vs 17W.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $520 MSRP, while Core i5-1250P mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-1250P can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 266V better than Core i5-1250P?

Yes. Core Ultra 7 266V is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 11.4% average FPS lead across 14 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core Ultra 7 266V is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 11.4% more average FPS across 14 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 7 266V is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core Ultra 7 266V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 7 266V is at an unclear MSRP at $520 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 11.4% average FPS lead across 14 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core Ultra 7 266V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 12/16. 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 i5-1250P Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 266V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-1250P	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	169 FPS	272 FPS
medium	151 FPS	243 FPS
high	123 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	230 FPS
medium	122 FPS	185 FPS
high	98 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	161 FPS
medium	74 FPS	130 FPS
high	59 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-1250P Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-1250P	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	195 FPS	236 FPS
medium	166 FPS	195 FPS
high	153 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	210 FPS
medium	150 FPS	181 FPS
high	141 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	139 FPS	155 FPS
medium	125 FPS	138 FPS
high	119 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	114 FPS

Open Core i5-1250P Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-1250P	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	479 FPS	482 FPS
medium	479 FPS	482 FPS
high	461 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	482 FPS
1440p
low	479 FPS	482 FPS
medium	465 FPS	482 FPS
high	415 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	468 FPS
4K
low	435 FPS	482 FPS
medium	356 FPS	462 FPS
high	315 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core i5-1250P Open Core Ultra 7 266V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-1250P	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	479 FPS	482 FPS
medium	479 FPS	482 FPS
high	479 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	479 FPS	482 FPS
1440p
low	479 FPS	482 FPS
medium	479 FPS	482 FPS
high	479 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	482 FPS
4K
low	470 FPS	482 FPS
medium	427 FPS	482 FPS
high	375 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core i5-1250P Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-1250P and Core Ultra 7 266V

Core i5-1250P

The Core i5-1250P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 February 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-P (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,167 points. Launch price was $299.

Core Ultra 7 266V

The Core Ultra 7 266V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,274 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-1250P packs 12 cores / 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 266V offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-1250P has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-1250P versus 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 266V — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 266V (base: 1.7 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-1250P uses the Alder Lake-P (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-1250P scores 19,167 against the Core Ultra 7 266V's 19,274 — a 0.6% lead for the Core Ultra 7 266V. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-1250P	Core Ultra 7 266V
Cores / Threads	12 / 16+50%	8 / 8
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	2.2 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+100%
Process	Intel 7 nm	3 nm-57%
Architecture	Alder Lake-P (2022)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	19,167	19,274
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,250	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,785	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,420	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-1250P uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-1250P	Core Ultra 7 266V
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-1250P) / not specified (Core Ultra 7 266V). The Core i5-1250P includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe Graphics (80 EU)), while the Core Ultra 7 266V requires a dedicated GPU.