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 228V

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $4 less on MSRP ($295 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 105W, a 88W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,932 vs 15,300).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 57.5 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($295 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 64.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 57.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $295 MSRP).
✅250% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
1.4% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$295 MSRP
❌517.6% higher power demand at 105W vs 17W.

Core Ultra 5 228V

2024

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $4 less on MSRP ($295 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 105W, a 88W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 64.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 57.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $295 MSRP).
✅250% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,932 vs 15,300).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 57.5 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($295 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
1.4% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$295 MSRP
❌517.6% higher power demand at 105W vs 17W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core Ultra 5 228V?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 54% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 67.1% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.9% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better fit. You are getting 54% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is 1.4% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $295 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 64.8% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 57.5 PassMark/$), 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 228V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 228V Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	180 FPS	266 FPS
medium	145 FPS	246 FPS
high	117 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	226 FPS
medium	117 FPS	189 FPS
high	95 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	157 FPS
medium	71 FPS	131 FPS
high	57 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	212 FPS	649 FPS
medium	176 FPS	524 FPS
high	158 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	544 FPS
medium	154 FPS	455 FPS
high	142 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	341 FPS
medium	122 FPS	290 FPS
high	115 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	424 FPS	708 FPS
medium	424 FPS	652 FPS
high	424 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	424 FPS	708 FPS
medium	424 FPS	554 FPS
high	424 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	424 FPS	463 FPS
medium	384 FPS	392 FPS
high	343 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	424 FPS	708 FPS
medium	424 FPS	708 FPS
high	424 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	424 FPS	708 FPS
medium	424 FPS	708 FPS
high	424 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	424 FPS	560 FPS
medium	424 FPS	502 FPS
high	424 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 228V and Ryzen 5 7600X

Core Ultra 5 228V

The Core Ultra 5 228V 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 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: 16,955 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 228V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 5 228V has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 228V versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 16.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 2.1 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 228V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 228V scores 16,955 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 50.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,932 vs 15,300 (42.5% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,585 vs 2,900, a 11.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,053 vs 13,800 (31.4% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 228V vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.3 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	4.7 GHz+124%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)	6 MB+140%
Process	3 nm-40%	5 nm, 6 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	16,955	28,325+67%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,932	15,300+54%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,585	2,900+12%
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,053	13,800+37%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 228V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5X-8533 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 7600X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 5 228V) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 5 228V) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	FCBGA2833	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5X-8533	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	128 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	28+250%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 7600X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Core Ultra 5 228V) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). Both include integrated graphics — Arc 130V (Core Ultra 5 228V) and AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 5 7600X) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Arc 130V	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 228V launched at $295 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($295 vs $299), the Core Ultra 5 228V is $4 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 228V delivers 57.5 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 49% better value option.