Core i7-8650U vs Core i7-8665U

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i7-8650U is positioned at rank 904 and the Core i7-8665U is on rank 544, so the Core i7-8665U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-8650U

#891

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1563%

#892

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1540%

#893

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1414%

#894

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1408%

#895

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1395%

#897

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1347%

#898

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1291%

#899

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1289%

#900

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1255%

#903

Core i7-8809G

MSRP: $450|Avg: $450

100%

#904

Core i7-8650U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#910

Core i7-6820HK

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#911

Athlon II Neo K325

MSRP: $60|Avg: $25

99%

#918

Core i5-8365UE

MSRP: $297|Avg: $297

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-8665U

#173

Core Ultra 5 238V

MSRP: $454|Avg: $454

97%

#532

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

710%

#533

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

699%

#534

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

642%

#535

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

639%

#536

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

633%

#538

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

611%

#539

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

586%

#540

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

585%

#541

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

570%

#544

Core i7-8665U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#549

Celeron Dual-Core T1500

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $49

98%

#557

Pentium P6200

MSRP: $60|Avg: $25

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-8665U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-8650U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-8650U	Core i7-8665U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-8650U	Core i7-8665U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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 i7-8650U Benchmark Check

Core i7-8665U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-8650U and Core i7-8665U

Core i7-8650U

The Core i7-8650U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,194 points. Launch price was $409.

Core i7-8665U

The Core i7-8665U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,202 points. Launch price was $409.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-8650U and Core i7-8665U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i7-8650U versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-8665U — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-8665U (base: 1.9 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i7-8650U uses the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-8665U uses Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-8650U scores 6,194 against the Core i7-8665U's 6,202 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-8665U. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-8650U	Core i7-8665U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.8 GHz+14%
Base Clock	1.9 GHz	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)	Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	6,194	6,202

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-8650U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-8665U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.