Core Ultra 5 125U
VS
Ryzen 5 6600U

Core Ultra 5 125U vs Ryzen 5 6600U

Intel

Core Ultra 5 125U

12 Cores14 Thrd0 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2023
VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 6600U

6 Cores12 Thrd15 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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.

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 Ultra 5 125U

#153
Core i7-1370P
MSRP: $438|Avg: $280
106%
#158
Core i9-13900H
MSRP: $617|Avg: N/A
104%
#161
Core Ultra 7 268V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $400
102%
#162
Core Ultra 7 256V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $350
101%
#165
Core Ultra 5 125U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#167
Core Ultra 7 258V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $400
98%
#169
Core i7-1280P
MSRP: $482|Avg: $482
97%
#173
Core Ultra 5 238V
MSRP: $454|Avg: $454
94%
#176
Core i9-13900HK
MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A
91%
#178
Core i7-1360P
MSRP: $480|Avg: $280
90%
#179
Core i7-1260P
MSRP: $432|Avg: $432
90%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Ryzen 5 6600U leads in gaming performance. However, the Core Ultra 5 125U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.9% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore Ultra 5 125URyzen 5 6600U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Meteor Lake-P (2023) / 7 nm)
✨ Modern (Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022) / 6 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore Ultra 5 125URyzen 5 6600U
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 125U and Ryzen 5 6600U

Intel

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.

AMD

Ryzen 5 6600U

The Ryzen 5 6600U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,992 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 125U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 5 6600U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 5 125U has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 125U versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 6600U — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 6600U (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 125U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 6600U uses Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 125U scores 17,152 against the Ryzen 5 6600U's 16,992 — a 0.9% lead for the Core Ultra 5 125U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 125U vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 6600U.

FeatureCore Ultra 5 125URyzen 5 6600U
Cores / Threads
12 / 14+100%
6 / 12
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock
1.3 GHz
2.9 GHz+123%
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)
16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache
2 MB (per core)+300%
512K (per core)
Process
7 nm
6 nm-14%
Architecture
Meteor Lake-P (2023)
Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022)
PassMark
17,152
16,992
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 125U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 6600U uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore Ultra 5 125URyzen 5 6600U
Socket
FCBGA2049
FP7
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+25%
PCIe 4.0