Core Ultra 5 135U vs Core i9-10980HK

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 135U

#64

Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

106%

#73

Core i9-13950HX

MSRP: $590|Avg: $199

103%

#77

Core Ultra 5 135U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#82

Core i7-11700B

MSRP: $323|Avg: $311

99%

#83

Core i7-13700HX

MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A

98%

#86

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-10980HK

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

128%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

127%

#202

Core i9-10980HK

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i9-10980HK delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core Ultra 5 135U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core i9-10980HK
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Meteor Lake-P (2023) / 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Comet Lake-H (2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core i9-10980HK
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.

Core Ultra 5 135U Benchmark Check

Core i9-10980HK Benchmark Check

League of Legends

No prediction data available

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 135U and Core i9-10980HK

Core Ultra 5 135U

The Core Ultra 5 135U 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 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 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: 16,900 points. Launch price was $332.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 135U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Core i9-10980HK offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 5 135U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 135U versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 135U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Core i9-10980HK uses Comet Lake-H (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 135U scores 16,900 against the Core i9-10980HK's 17,037 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i9-10980HK. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 135U vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core i9-10980HK
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.4 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-P (2023)	Comet Lake-H (2020)
PassMark	16,900	17,037
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,315	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,948	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 135U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-10980HK uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core i9-10980HK
Socket	FCBGA2049	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	—
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core Ultra 5 135U) / not specified (Core i9-10980HK). The Core Ultra 5 135U includes integrated graphics (Intel Arc Graphics), while the Core i9-10980HK requires a dedicated GPU.