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 i7-11850H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.0% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅150% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌105.9% higher power demand at 35W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 268V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 268V

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 35W, a 18W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11850H across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,698 vs 19,873).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $450 MSRP, while Core i7-11850H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i7-11850H

2021

Core Ultra 7 268V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.0% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅150% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 35W, a 18W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌105.9% higher power demand at 35W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 268V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11850H across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,698 vs 19,873).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $450 MSRP, while Core i7-11850H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-11850H better than Core Ultra 7 268V?

Yes. Core i7-11850H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.0% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.9% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-11850H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.0% more average FPS across 43 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11850H is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-11850H is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Core i7-11850H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $450 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.0% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core Ultra 7 268V 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 8.0% in the shared gaming data.

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

Core Ultra 7 268V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787. 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 i7-11850H Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 268V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
1080p
low	280 FPS	272 FPS
medium	250 FPS	243 FPS
high	213 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	236 FPS	230 FPS
medium	190 FPS	185 FPS
high	156 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	161 FPS
medium	134 FPS	130 FPS
high	104 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-11850H Open Core Ultra 7 268V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
1080p
low	497 FPS	236 FPS
medium	497 FPS	195 FPS
high	437 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	394 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	497 FPS	210 FPS
medium	460 FPS	181 FPS
high	388 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	333 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	155 FPS
medium	288 FPS	138 FPS
high	264 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	114 FPS

Open Core i7-11850H Open Core Ultra 7 268V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
1080p
low	497 FPS	492 FPS
medium	497 FPS	492 FPS
high	497 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	492 FPS
1440p
low	497 FPS	492 FPS
medium	497 FPS	492 FPS
high	497 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	468 FPS
4K
low	497 FPS	492 FPS
medium	480 FPS	462 FPS
high	427 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core i7-11850H Open Core Ultra 7 268V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
1080p
low	497 FPS	492 FPS
medium	497 FPS	492 FPS
high	497 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	492 FPS
1440p
low	497 FPS	492 FPS
medium	497 FPS	492 FPS
high	497 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	497 FPS	492 FPS
medium	497 FPS	492 FPS
high	497 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	431 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core i7-11850H Open Core Ultra 7 268V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-11850H and Core Ultra 7 268V

Core i7-11850H

The Core i7-11850H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,873 points. Launch price was $299.

Core Ultra 7 268V

The Core Ultra 7 268V 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 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: 19,698 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-11850H packs 8 cores / 16 threads, matching the Core Ultra 7 268V's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-11850H versus 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 268V — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 268V (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i7-11850H uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Core Ultra 7 268V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11850H scores 19,873 against the Core Ultra 7 268V's 19,698 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i7-11850H. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,911 vs 2,437, a 24.2% lead for the Core Ultra 7 268V that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11850H vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 268V.

Feature	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 8
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+14%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+100%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+100%
Process	10 nm SuperFin	3 nm-70%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-H (2021)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	19,873	19,698
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	10,653
Geekbench 6 Single	1,911	2,437+28%
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-11850H uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core Ultra 7 268V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-11850H versus LPDDR5x-8533 on the Core Ultra 7 268V — the Core Ultra 7 268V supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-11850H 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: 20 (Core i7-11850H) vs 8 (Core Ultra 7 268V) — the Core i7-11850H offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM570,QM580,WM590 (Core i7-11850H) and SoC (Core Ultra 7 268V).

Feature	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
Socket	FCBGA1787	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	LPDDR5x-8533+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+300%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+150%	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i7-11850H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics (Core i7-11850H) and Arc Graphics 140V (Core Ultra 7 268V) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-11850H targets Workstation Laptop, Core Ultra 7 268V targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i7-11850H rivals Ryzen 7 5800H; Core Ultra 7 268V rivals Core Ultra 7 155H.

Feature	Core i7-11850H	Core Ultra 7 268V
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics	Arc Graphics 140V
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Workstation Laptop	Productivity