Core Ultra 5 125U
VS
Xeon W-3223

Core Ultra 5 125U vs Xeon W-3223

Intel

Core Ultra 5 125U

12 Cores14 Thrd0 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2023
VS
Intel

Xeon W-3223

8 Cores16 Thrd160 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2019

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 Xeon W-3223

#169
Xeon E-2356G
MSRP: $311|Avg: $544
103%
#171
Xeon W-2140B
MSRP: $294|Avg: $99
102%
#176
Xeon 6325P
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
101%
#178
Xeon Silver 4510
MSRP: $563|Avg: $563
101%
#179
Xeon W-3223
MSRP: $294|Avg: $294
100%
#182
EPYC Embedded 8224P
MSRP: $855|Avg: $1048
99%
#187
Xeon Gold 5520+
MSRP: $1083|Avg: $764
98%
#188
EPYC 8124P
MSRP: $639|Avg: $639
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($294) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W-3223 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore Ultra 5 125UXeon W-3223
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($294)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Meteor Lake-P (2023) / 7 nm)
✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core Ultra 5 125U ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($294 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore Ultra 5 125UXeon W-3223
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($294)

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 Xeon W-3223

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.

Intel

Xeon W-3223

The Xeon W-3223 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 160 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 16,956 points. Launch price was $749.

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 125U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Xeon W-3223 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 5 125U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 125U versus 4.2 GHz on the Xeon W-3223 — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 125U (base: 1.3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 125U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon W-3223 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 125U scores 17,152 against the Xeon W-3223's 16,956 — a 1.1% lead for the Core Ultra 5 125U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 125U vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon W-3223.

FeatureCore Ultra 5 125UXeon W-3223
Cores / Threads
12 / 14+50%
8 / 16
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz+2%
4.2 GHz
Base Clock
1.3 GHz
3.5 GHz+169%
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)
16.5 MB+38%
L2 Cache
2 MB (per core)
8 MB+300%
Process
7 nm-50%
14 nm
Architecture
Meteor Lake-P (2023)
Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark
17,152+1%
16,956
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 125U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon W-3223 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore Ultra 5 125UXeon W-3223
Socket
FCBGA2049
LGA3647
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+67%
PCIe 3.0