Core i9-10980HK vs Core Ultra 5 125U

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.

Core i9-10980HK vs Core Ultra 5 125U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i9-10980HK vs Core Ultra 5 125U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,037 vs 17,152).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 125U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 125U

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 125U better than Core i9-10980HK?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i9-10980HK is ahead with a 12.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 125U pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Core i9-10980HK also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 125U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 125U still makes the most sense overall. Core Ultra 5 125U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.7% better PassMark.

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

Core Ultra 5 125U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 threads instead of 8/16. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core i9-10980HK vs Core Ultra 5 125U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i9-10980HK

The Core i9-10980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,037 points. Launch price was $583.

Core Ultra 5 125U

The Core Ultra 5 125U 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 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 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: 17,152 points. Launch price was $363.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 125U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 5 125U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK versus 4.3 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 125U — a 17% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 1.3 GHz). The Core i9-10980HK uses the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 125U uses Meteor Lake-P (2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980HK scores 17,037 against the Core Ultra 5 125U's 17,152 — a 0.7% lead for the Core Ultra 5 125U. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 125U.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 5 125U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 14+50%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+19%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+85%	1.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+33%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake-H (2020)	Meteor Lake-P (2023)
PassMark	17,037	17,152

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 125U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.