Core Ultra 5 125U vs Core Ultra 5 228V

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 125U

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 228V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 228V

2024

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc 130V, while Core Ultra 5 125U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,955 vs 17,152).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $295 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 125U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core Ultra 5 125U

2023

Core Ultra 5 228V

2024

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc 130V, while Core Ultra 5 125U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 228V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,955 vs 17,152).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $295 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 125U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 228V better than Core Ultra 5 125U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 228V is ahead with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 125U pulls ahead with 1.2% better PassMark. Core Ultra 5 125U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 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 better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core Ultra 5 228V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 228V is at an unclear MSRP at $295 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core Ultra 5 125U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.2% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (57.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core Ultra 5 228V 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 125U Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 228V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 125U	Core Ultra 5 228V
1080p
low	181 FPS	180 FPS
medium	145 FPS	145 FPS
high	117 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	148 FPS
medium	116 FPS	117 FPS
high	93 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	83 FPS
medium	67 FPS	71 FPS
high	54 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 125U Open Core Ultra 5 228V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 125U	Core Ultra 5 228V
1080p
low	181 FPS	212 FPS
medium	153 FPS	176 FPS
high	140 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	160 FPS	181 FPS
medium	139 FPS	154 FPS
high	129 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	131 FPS	137 FPS
medium	117 FPS	122 FPS
high	110 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 125U Open Core Ultra 5 228V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 125U	Core Ultra 5 228V
1080p
low	429 FPS	424 FPS
medium	429 FPS	424 FPS
high	429 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	429 FPS	424 FPS
medium	429 FPS	424 FPS
high	429 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	413 FPS	424 FPS
4K
low	429 FPS	424 FPS
medium	380 FPS	384 FPS
high	331 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 125U Open Core Ultra 5 228V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 125U	Core Ultra 5 228V
1080p
low	429 FPS	424 FPS
medium	429 FPS	424 FPS
high	429 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	429 FPS	424 FPS
medium	429 FPS	424 FPS
high	429 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	424 FPS
4K
low	429 FPS	424 FPS
medium	429 FPS	424 FPS
high	417 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	408 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 125U Open Core Ultra 5 228V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 125U and Core Ultra 5 228V

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.

Core Ultra 5 228V

The Core Ultra 5 228V 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: 16,955 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 125U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 228V offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core Ultra 5 125U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 125U versus 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 228V — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 228V (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 125U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 228V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 125U scores 17,152 against the Core Ultra 5 228V's 16,955 — a 1.2% lead for the Core Ultra 5 125U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 125U vs 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 228V.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 125U	Core Ultra 5 228V
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 8
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2.1 GHz+62%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+25%
Process	7 nm	3 nm-57%
Architecture	Meteor Lake-P (2023)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	17,152+1%	16,955
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,932
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,585
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,053

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 125U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core Ultra 5 228V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 125U	Core Ultra 5 228V
Socket	FCBGA2049	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR5X-8533
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	8

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core Ultra 5 125U) / Yes (Core Ultra 5 228V). The Core Ultra 5 228V includes integrated graphics (Arc 130V), while the Core Ultra 5 125U requires a dedicated GPU.