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 7 265K

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1462.5% higher power demand at 125W vs 8W.

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 8W instead of 125W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 265K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 36,309).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Core Ultra 7 265K

2024

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 8W instead of 125W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1462.5% higher power demand at 125W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 265K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 36,309).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 265K better than Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS?

Yes. Core Ultra 7 265K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 126.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 115.2% 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, Core Ultra 7 265K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.0% 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, Core Ultra 7 265K is the better fit. You are getting 126.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core Ultra 7 265K is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 7 265K is at an unclear MSRP at $309 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (190.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 265K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023), 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. 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 7 265K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	305 FPS	269 FPS
medium	290 FPS	243 FPS
high	244 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	236 FPS
medium	201 FPS	193 FPS
high	163 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	158 FPS	164 FPS
medium	132 FPS	136 FPS
high	102 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	778 FPS	513 FPS
medium	656 FPS	421 FPS
high	548 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	491 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	673 FPS	448 FPS
medium	595 FPS	388 FPS
high	499 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	395 FPS	295 FPS
medium	357 FPS	267 FPS
high	335 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	292 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	851 FPS	683 FPS
medium	694 FPS	683 FPS
high	617 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	528 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	731 FPS	683 FPS
medium	599 FPS	637 FPS
high	521 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	517 FPS	541 FPS
medium	436 FPS	473 FPS
high	396 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	355 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	1128 FPS	683 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	683 FPS
high	889 FPS	683 FPS
ultra	808 FPS	683 FPS
1440p
low	892 FPS	683 FPS
medium	789 FPS	683 FPS
high	687 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	611 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	604 FPS	572 FPS
medium	542 FPS	511 FPS
high	489 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 265K and Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Core Ultra 7 265K

The Core Ultra 7 265K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 20 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 58,789 points. Launch price was $394.

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

The Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 27,318 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 265K packs 20 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 7 265K has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 265K versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS — a 5.6% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K (base: 3.9 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 265K uses the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 265K scores 58,789 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS's 27,318 — a 73.1% lead for the Core Ultra 7 265K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 36,309 vs 16,000 (77.7% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,283 vs 2,605, a 23% lead for the Core Ultra 7 265K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 22,293 vs 10,348 (73.2% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K). L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 265K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
Cores / Threads	20 / 20+150%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.5 GHz+6%	5.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.9 GHz	4 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)	8 MB+167%
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	58,789+115%	27,318
Cinebench R23 Multi	36,309+127%	16,000
Geekbench 6 Single	3,283+26%	2,605
Geekbench 6 Multi	22,293+115%	10,348

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 265K uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS uses FP7/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Core Ultra 7 265K supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: LGA1851 (Core Ultra 7 265K) and SoC (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS).

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
Socket	LGA1851	FP7/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+300%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 7 265K) vs Yes (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS). Both include integrated graphics — Arc Graphics 64EU (Core Ultra 7 265K) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU.