Core Ultra 5 134U vs Ryzen 5 2600

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 5 134U

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2551 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 2600 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 2600.

Ryzen 5 2600

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 5 134U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,145 vs 13,169).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 134U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 134U moves to FCBGA2551 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 134U

2023

Ryzen 5 2600

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2551 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 5 134U.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 2600 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 2600.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,145 vs 13,169).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 134U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 134U moves to FCBGA2551 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 2600 better than Core Ultra 5 134U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 2600 is ahead with a 6.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 134U pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 2600 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, Core Ultra 5 134U is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 2600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 2600 is at an unclear MSRP at $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core Ultra 5 134U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.2% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (66.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 134U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with FCBGA2551 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 threads instead of 6/12. 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 5 134U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 2600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 134U	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	181 FPS	183 FPS
medium	146 FPS	157 FPS
high	118 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	152 FPS
medium	117 FPS	125 FPS
high	94 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	68 FPS
medium	71 FPS	60 FPS
high	56 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 134U Open Ryzen 5 2600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 134U	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	198 FPS	263 FPS
medium	164 FPS	227 FPS
high	150 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	162 FPS
1440p
low	174 FPS	236 FPS
medium	148 FPS	206 FPS
high	138 FPS	183 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	186 FPS
medium	124 FPS	165 FPS
high	117 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	111 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 134U Open Ryzen 5 2600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 134U	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	268 FPS
4K
low	329 FPS	304 FPS
medium	329 FPS	248 FPS
high	329 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	167 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 134U Open Ryzen 5 2600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 134U	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 134U Open Ryzen 5 2600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 134U and Ryzen 5 2600

Core Ultra 5 134U

The Core Ultra 5 134U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 0.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2551. Thermal design power (TDP): + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 13,169 points. Launch price was $332.

Ryzen 5 2600

The Ryzen 5 2600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,145 points. Launch price was $199.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 134U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 5 2600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 5 134U has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 134U versus 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600 — a 12% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 134U (base: 0.7 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 134U uses the Meteor Lake-U (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2600 uses Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 134U scores 13,169 against the Ryzen 5 2600's 13,145 — a 0.2% lead for the Core Ultra 5 134U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 134U vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 134U	Ryzen 5 2600
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+13%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	0.7 GHz	3.4 GHz+386%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	3 MB+50%
Process	7 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-U (2023)	Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018)
PassMark	13,169	13,145
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	6,344
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,163
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	4,893

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 134U uses the FCBGA2551 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 2600 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 134U	Ryzen 5 2600
Socket	FCBGA2551	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	20

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core Ultra 5 134U) / Yes (Ryzen 5 2600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 2600 targets General Productivity. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 2600 rivals Core i5-9400.