Core Ultra 5 135U vs Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

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 135U

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of SP3r2 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc Graphics, while Ryzen Threadripper 1900X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 1900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1900X, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,829 vs 16,900).
❌Launch MSRP is still $549 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 135U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on SP3r2 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 135U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 135U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 135U

2023

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of SP3r2 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc Graphics, while Ryzen Threadripper 1900X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 1900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1900X, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,829 vs 16,900).
❌Launch MSRP is still $549 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 135U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on SP3r2 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 135U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 135U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 1900X better than Core Ultra 5 135U?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1900X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 5 135U is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 135U is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper 1900X is at an unclear MSRP at $549 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 14.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core Ultra 5 135U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.4% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (30.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 135U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2017), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of SP3r2, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 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 5 135U Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135U	Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
1080p
low	181 FPS	227 FPS
medium	146 FPS	198 FPS
high	118 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	118 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	183 FPS
medium	117 FPS	152 FPS
high	94 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	87 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	71 FPS
medium	71 FPS	63 FPS
high	56 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135U Open Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135U	Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
1080p
low	198 FPS	421 FPS
medium	164 FPS	401 FPS
high	150 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	280 FPS
1440p
low	174 FPS	392 FPS
medium	148 FPS	353 FPS
high	138 FPS	301 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	253 FPS
medium	124 FPS	228 FPS
high	117 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	165 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135U Open Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135U	Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
1080p
low	422 FPS	421 FPS
medium	422 FPS	421 FPS
high	422 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	422 FPS	421 FPS
medium	422 FPS	421 FPS
high	422 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	399 FPS
4K
low	422 FPS	421 FPS
medium	384 FPS	362 FPS
high	334 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	266 FPS	270 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135U Open Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135U	Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
1080p
low	422 FPS	421 FPS
medium	422 FPS	421 FPS
high	422 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	422 FPS	421 FPS
medium	422 FPS	421 FPS
high	422 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	421 FPS
4K
low	422 FPS	421 FPS
medium	422 FPS	421 FPS
high	419 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	371 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135U Open Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 135U and Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

Core Ultra 5 135U

The Core Ultra 5 135U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,900 points. Launch price was $332.

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

The Ryzen Threadripper 1900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 31 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 16,829 points. Launch price was $549.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 135U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 5 135U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 135U versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 135U (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 135U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 135U scores 16,900 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X's 16,829 — a 0.4% lead for the Core Ultra 5 135U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 135U vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135U	Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+10%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+137%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-P (2023)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	16,900	16,829
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,315	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,948	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,000	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 135U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135U	Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
Socket	FCBGA2049	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	—
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core Ultra 5 135U) / not specified (Ryzen Threadripper 1900X). The Core Ultra 5 135U includes integrated graphics (Intel Arc Graphics), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X requires a dedicated GPU.