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 $404 less on MSRP ($295 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,932 vs 38,581).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 57.5 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($295 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +65.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 55.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 57.5 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $295 MSRP).
✅250% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
136.9% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$295 MSRP
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.

Core Ultra 5 228V

2024

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $404 less on MSRP ($295 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +65.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 55.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 57.5 PassMark/$ ($699 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 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,932 vs 38,581).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 57.5 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($295 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
136.9% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$295 MSRP
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Core Ultra 5 228V?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 65.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 288.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 267.6% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 65.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 8 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 288.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1500% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is 136.9% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $295 MSRP, and it gives you a 65.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 55.1% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 57.5 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 8 MB and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/8. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	180 FPS	291 FPS
medium	145 FPS	265 FPS
high	117 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	275 FPS
medium	117 FPS	227 FPS
high	95 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	190 FPS
medium	71 FPS	156 FPS
high	57 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	212 FPS	734 FPS
medium	176 FPS	627 FPS
high	158 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	602 FPS
medium	154 FPS	536 FPS
high	142 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	338 FPS
medium	122 FPS	305 FPS
high	115 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	424 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	424 FPS	1122 FPS
high	424 FPS	1062 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	424 FPS	936 FPS
medium	424 FPS	845 FPS
high	424 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	424 FPS	574 FPS
medium	384 FPS	498 FPS
high	343 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	424 FPS	1082 FPS
medium	424 FPS	973 FPS
high	424 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	424 FPS	853 FPS
medium	424 FPS	751 FPS
high	424 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	424 FPS	623 FPS
medium	424 FPS	555 FPS
high	424 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 228V and Ryzen 9 7950X3D

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 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,323 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 228V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 228V versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — a 23.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 2.1 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 228V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 228V scores 16,955 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 62,323 — a 114.5% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,932 vs 38,581 (118.1% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,585 vs 2,926, a 12.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,053 vs 19,643 (64.6% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 228V vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.7 GHz+27%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	4.2 GHz+100%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+1500%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+150%	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-40%	5 nm, 6 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	16,955	62,323+268%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,932	38,581+288%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,585	2,926+13%
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,053	19,643+95%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 228V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5X-8533 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D 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 9 7950X3D) — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 5 228V) and AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650 (Ryzen 9 7950X3D).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
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 9 7950X3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Core Ultra 5 228V) vs true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). Both include integrated graphics — Arc 130V (Core Ultra 5 228V) and Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 9 7950X3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Arc 130V	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	Yes	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 228V launched at $295 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D debuted at $699. On MSRP ($295 vs $699), the Core Ultra 5 228V is $404 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 228V delivers 57.5 pts/$ vs 89.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 43.2% better value option.