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 i9-10900

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $37 less on MSRP ($483 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,163 vs 19,274).
❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10900 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 20 MB).
❌
7.7% HIGHER MSRP
$520 MSRPvs$483 MSRP

Core i9-10900

2020

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $37 less on MSRP ($483 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,163 vs 19,274).
❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10900 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 20 MB).
❌
7.7% HIGHER MSRP
$520 MSRPvs$483 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 266V better than Core i9-10900?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-10900 is ahead with a 25.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 7 266V pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark. Core i9-10900 also has the bigger cache pool with 66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB).

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 still the faster CPU overall, but Core i9-10900 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core Ultra 7 266V is 7.7% more expensive on MSRP at $520 MSRP versus $483 MSRP, and it gives you 0.6% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-10900 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 25.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-10900 is also 7.0% better value on MSRP (39.7 vs 37.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds 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 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 10/20. 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 i9-10900 Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 266V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10900	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	292 FPS	272 FPS
medium	259 FPS	243 FPS
high	219 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	230 FPS
medium	191 FPS	185 FPS
high	157 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	161 FPS
medium	135 FPS	130 FPS
high	104 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10900	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	479 FPS	233 FPS
medium	479 FPS	195 FPS
high	479 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	479 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	479 FPS	208 FPS
medium	479 FPS	181 FPS
high	479 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	452 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	454 FPS	153 FPS
medium	385 FPS	138 FPS
high	360 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	114 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10900	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	461 FPS	468 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	482 FPS
medium	465 FPS	462 FPS
high	417 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Core Ultra 7 266V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10900	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	479 FPS	482 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	482 FPS
medium	479 FPS	482 FPS
high	479 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	436 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10900 and Core Ultra 7 266V

Core i9-10900

The Core i9-10900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 19,163 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.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10900 packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 266V offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core i9-10900 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10900 versus 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 266V — a 2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i9-10900 uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10900 scores 19,163 against the Core Ultra 7 266V's 19,274 — a 0.6% lead for the Core Ultra 7 266V. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 266V.

Feature	Core i9-10900	Core Ultra 7 266V
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+25%	8 / 8
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+2%	5 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+27%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+67%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+900%
Process	14 nm	3 nm-79%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	19,163	19,274

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10900 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-10900	Core Ultra 7 266V
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10900 launched at $483 MSRP, while the Core Ultra 7 266V debuted at $520. On MSRP ($483 vs $520), the Core i9-10900 is $37 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10900 delivers 39.7 pts/$ vs 37.1 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 7 266V — making the Core i9-10900 the 6.8% better value option.