Core Ultra 5 226V vs Ryzen Z1

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 226V

2024

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc 130V, while Ryzen Z1 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,400 vs 18,406).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $300 MSRP, while Ryzen Z1 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen Z1

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 17W, a 2W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 226V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 226V

2024

Ryzen Z1

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc 130V, while Ryzen Z1 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 17W, a 2W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,400 vs 18,406).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $300 MSRP, while Ryzen Z1 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 226V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Z1 better than Core Ultra 5 226V?

Yes. Ryzen Z1 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 15.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Z1 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 15.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Z1 is the better fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen Z1 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Ryzen Z1 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and it gives you a 15.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core Ultra 5 226V only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop CPU, not because it is a serious desktop gaming option. It simply cannot keep up with modern games, especially when the gap is already 15.7% in the shared gaming data.

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

Core Ultra 5 226V 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 5 226V Benchmark Check

Ryzen Z1 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen Z1
1080p
low	180 FPS	262 FPS
medium	145 FPS	234 FPS
high	117 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	167 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	231 FPS
medium	117 FPS	187 FPS
high	95 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	162 FPS
medium	71 FPS	133 FPS
high	57 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen Z1

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen Z1
1080p
low	212 FPS	429 FPS
medium	176 FPS	339 FPS
high	158 FPS	291 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	250 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	356 FPS
medium	154 FPS	295 FPS
high	142 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	219 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	268 FPS
medium	122 FPS	227 FPS
high	115 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen Z1

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen Z1
1080p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	384 FPS	437 FPS
high	343 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen Z1

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen Z1
1080p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	370 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen Z1

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 226V and Ryzen Z1

Core Ultra 5 226V

The Core Ultra 5 226V 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: 18,400 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen Z1

The Ryzen Z1 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Maio 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (Zen4) (2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 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): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,406 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 226V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen Z1 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 5 226V has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 226V versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen Z1 — a 8.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen Z1 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 226V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen Z1 uses Phoenix (Zen4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 226V scores 18,400 against the Ryzen Z1's 18,406 — a 0% lead for the Ryzen Z1. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 226V vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen Z1.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen Z1
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.9 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+150%	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Phoenix (Zen4) (2023)
PassMark	18,400	18,406
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,041	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,962	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 226V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Z1 uses FP8 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen Z1
Socket	FCBGA2833	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5X-8533	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 226V) / not specified (Ryzen Z1). The Core Ultra 5 226V includes integrated graphics (Arc 130V), while the Ryzen Z1 requires a dedicated GPU.