Core i9-10980HK vs Core Ultra 7 165U

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 i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 165U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 165U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 7 165U

2023

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc Graphics, while Core i9-10980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,857 vs 17,037).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Core Ultra 7 165U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc Graphics, while Core i9-10980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 165U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 165U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,857 vs 17,037).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10980HK better than Core Ultra 7 165U?

Yes. Core i9-10980HK is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 11.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-10980HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 11.7% 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, Core i9-10980HK is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-10980HK still looks like the safer overall buy. Core i9-10980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 11.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Core Ultra 7 165U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440. 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 i9-10980HK Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 165U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 7 165U
1080p
low	267 FPS	276 FPS
medium	239 FPS	248 FPS
high	201 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	230 FPS
medium	185 FPS	185 FPS
high	151 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	160 FPS
medium	130 FPS	130 FPS
high	100 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Core Ultra 7 165U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 7 165U
1080p
low	426 FPS	214 FPS
medium	359 FPS	176 FPS
high	312 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	273 FPS	140 FPS
1440p
low	402 FPS	181 FPS
medium	335 FPS	155 FPS
high	288 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	243 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	141 FPS
medium	232 FPS	124 FPS
high	219 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	101 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Core Ultra 7 165U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 7 165U
1080p
low	426 FPS	421 FPS
medium	426 FPS	421 FPS
high	426 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	426 FPS	421 FPS
medium	426 FPS	421 FPS
high	426 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	421 FPS
4K
low	426 FPS	421 FPS
medium	426 FPS	421 FPS
high	393 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Core Ultra 7 165U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 7 165U
1080p
low	426 FPS	421 FPS
medium	426 FPS	421 FPS
high	426 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	426 FPS	421 FPS
medium	426 FPS	421 FPS
high	426 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	421 FPS
4K
low	426 FPS	421 FPS
medium	426 FPS	421 FPS
high	426 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	403 FPS

Open Core i9-10980HK Open Core Ultra 7 165U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10980HK and Core Ultra 7 165U

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 7 165U

The Core Ultra 7 165U 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 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 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: 16,857 points. Launch price was $448.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 165U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 7 165U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK versus 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 165U — a 4% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i9-10980HK uses the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 165U uses Meteor Lake-P (2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980HK scores 17,037 against the Core Ultra 7 165U's 16,857 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i9-10980HK. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 165U.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 7 165U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 14+50%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+4%	4.9 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+41%	1.7 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+1%	16,857
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,350
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,000

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 7 165U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	Core Ultra 7 165U
Socket	BGA1440	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	—	96 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-10980HK) / VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 7 165U). The Core Ultra 7 165U includes integrated graphics (Intel Arc Graphics), while the Core i9-10980HK requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 7 165U targets Premium Laptop.