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 9 288V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,300 vs 10,675).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $600 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 8640U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 5 8640U

2023

Why buy it

✅+14.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 30W, a 2W reduction.
✅150% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 9 288V across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core Ultra 9 288V

2024

Ryzen 5 8640U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+14.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 30W, a 2W reduction.
✅150% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,300 vs 10,675).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $600 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 8640U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 9 288V across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 9 288V better than Ryzen 5 8640U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 9 288V is ahead with a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8640U pulls ahead with 14.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 5 8640U 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 5 8640U is the better fit. You are getting 14.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 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 9 288V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 9 288V is at an unclear MSRP at $600 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 8640U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 14.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (33.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 288V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023). 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 9 288V Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8640U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 5 8640U
1080p
low	278 FPS	261 FPS
medium	246 FPS	237 FPS
high	207 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	230 FPS
medium	187 FPS	190 FPS
high	153 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	163 FPS	159 FPS
medium	132 FPS	133 FPS
high	102 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 5 8640U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 5 8640U
1080p
low	481 FPS	371 FPS
medium	383 FPS	309 FPS
high	337 FPS	272 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	236 FPS
1440p
low	426 FPS	313 FPS
medium	352 FPS	270 FPS
high	312 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	267 FPS	207 FPS
4K
low	311 FPS	234 FPS
medium	269 FPS	206 FPS
high	251 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	161 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 5 8640U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 5 8640U
1080p
low	507 FPS	507 FPS
medium	507 FPS	507 FPS
high	507 FPS	507 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	507 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	507 FPS
medium	507 FPS	507 FPS
high	507 FPS	507 FPS
ultra	477 FPS	443 FPS
4K
low	507 FPS	493 FPS
medium	473 FPS	435 FPS
high	419 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	308 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 5 8640U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 5 8640U
1080p
low	507 FPS	507 FPS
medium	507 FPS	507 FPS
high	507 FPS	507 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	507 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	507 FPS
medium	507 FPS	507 FPS
high	507 FPS	507 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	507 FPS
4K
low	507 FPS	507 FPS
medium	507 FPS	501 FPS
high	496 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	380 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 288V Open Ryzen 5 8640U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 9 288V and Ryzen 5 8640U

Core Ultra 9 288V

The Core Ultra 9 288V 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 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 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): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,280 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 8640U

The Ryzen 5 8640U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,274 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 9 288V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8640U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 9 288V has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 288V versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8640U — a 4% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 9 288V (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core Ultra 9 288V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8640U uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 9 288V scores 20,280 against the Ryzen 5 8640U's 20,274 — a 0% lead for the Core Ultra 9 288V. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,300 vs 10,675 (13.8% advantage for the Ryzen 5 8640U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,800 vs 2,519, a 10.6% lead for the Core Ultra 9 288V that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,000 vs 10,308 (3% advantage for the Ryzen 5 8640U). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 288V vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8640U.

Feature	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 5 8640U
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+4%	4.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.5 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+150%	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
PassMark	20,280	20,274
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,300	10,675+15%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,800+11%	2,519
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,000	10,308+3%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 9 288V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 8640U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5X-8533 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 8640U supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 9 288V) vs 20 (Ryzen 5 8640U) — the Ryzen 5 8640U offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 9 288V) and SoC (Ryzen 5 8640U).

Feature	Core Ultra 9 288V	Ryzen 5 8640U
Socket	FCBGA2833	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5X-8533	LPDDR5x-7500
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	256 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	20+150%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 8640U supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Core Ultra 9 288V) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 5 8640U). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Arc 140V (Core Ultra 9 288V) and Radeon 760M (Ryzen 5 8640U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 8640U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 8640U rivals Core i5-1335U.