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 185H

2023

Why buy it

✅+4.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 9 7940H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7940H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 9 7940H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,200 vs 18,030).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core Ultra 9 185H.

Core Ultra 9 185H

2023

Ryzen 9 7940H

2023

Why buy it

✅+4.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 9 7940H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7940H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,200 vs 18,030).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core Ultra 9 185H.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 9 185H better than Ryzen 9 7940H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 7940H is ahead with a 5.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 9 185H pulls ahead with 4.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core Ultra 9 185H also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 9 185H is the better fit. You are getting 4.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 22 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core Ultra 9 185H still looks like the safer overall buy. Core Ultra 9 185H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 4.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

Core Ultra 9 185H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 22 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 185H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7940H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
1080p
low	308 FPS	268 FPS
medium	278 FPS	241 FPS
high	232 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	251 FPS	234 FPS
medium	201 FPS	191 FPS
high	163 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	173 FPS	160 FPS
medium	139 FPS	132 FPS
high	107 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 185H Open Ryzen 9 7940H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
1080p
low	734 FPS	502 FPS
medium	587 FPS	417 FPS
high	480 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	638 FPS	439 FPS
medium	530 FPS	385 FPS
high	437 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	282 FPS
4K
low	375 FPS	291 FPS
medium	320 FPS	267 FPS
high	295 FPS	251 FPS
ultra	258 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 185H Open Ryzen 9 7940H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
1080p
low	734 FPS	729 FPS
medium	734 FPS	729 FPS
high	734 FPS	729 FPS
ultra	661 FPS	650 FPS
1440p
low	734 FPS	729 FPS
medium	734 FPS	637 FPS
high	634 FPS	548 FPS
ultra	543 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	641 FPS	534 FPS
medium	534 FPS	460 FPS
high	482 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	344 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 185H Open Ryzen 9 7940H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
1080p
low	734 FPS	729 FPS
medium	734 FPS	729 FPS
high	734 FPS	729 FPS
ultra	734 FPS	729 FPS
1440p
low	734 FPS	729 FPS
medium	734 FPS	729 FPS
high	701 FPS	716 FPS
ultra	609 FPS	631 FPS
4K
low	612 FPS	619 FPS
medium	540 FPS	553 FPS
high	488 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	434 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 185H Open Ryzen 9 7940H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 9 185H and Ryzen 9 7940H

Core Ultra 9 185H

The Core Ultra 9 185H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-H (2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 22 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): + 24 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 29,360 points. Launch price was $640.

Ryzen 9 7940H

The Ryzen 9 7940H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600. Passmark benchmark score: 29,151 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 9 185H packs 16 cores / 22 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7940H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 9 185H has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 185H versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7940H — a 1.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7940H (base: 3.9 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core Ultra 9 185H uses the Meteor Lake-H (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7940H uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 9 185H scores 29,360 against the Ryzen 9 7940H's 29,151 — a 0.7% lead for the Core Ultra 9 185H. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 18,030 vs 17,200 (4.7% advantage for the Core Ultra 9 185H). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,700 vs 2,646, a 2% lead for the Core Ultra 9 185H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 17,000 vs 13,495 (23% advantage for the Core Ultra 9 185H). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 185H vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7940H.

Feature	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
Cores / Threads	16 / 22+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.2 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.9 GHz	4 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+50%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Meteor Lake-H (2023)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	29,360	29,151
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,030+5%	17,200
Geekbench 6 Single	2,700+2%	2,646
Geekbench 6 Multi	17,000+26%	13,495

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 9 185H uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 7940H uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5x-7467, DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 7940H supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 96 GB — 90.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 28 (Core Ultra 9 185H) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 7940H) — the Core Ultra 9 185H offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Meteor Lake SoC (Core Ultra 9 185H) and FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 7940H).

Feature	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
Socket	FCBGA2049	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-7467, DDR5-5600	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB	256 GB+167%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	28+40%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 7940H has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 7940H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core Ultra 9 185H) vs AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen 9 7940H). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Arc Graphics (8 Xe-cores) (Core Ultra 9 185H) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 7940H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 9 185H targets Mainstream Performance / AI Workloads, Ryzen 9 7940H targets High-performance Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 9 185H rivals Ryzen 9 8945HS; Ryzen 9 7940H rivals Core i9-13900H.

Feature	Core Ultra 9 185H	Ryzen 9 7940H
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel Arc Graphics (8 Xe-cores)	Radeon 780M
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V, SVM
Target Use	Mainstream Performance / AI Workloads	High-performance Gaming Laptop