Core Ultra 5 135U 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.

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 Ultra 7 165U

#167

Core Ultra 7 258V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $400

112%

#169

Core i7-1280P

MSRP: $482|Avg: $482

110%

#173

Core Ultra 5 238V

MSRP: $454|Avg: $454

107%

#176

Core i9-13900HK

MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A

104%

#178

Core i7-1360P

MSRP: $480|Avg: $280

103%

#179

Core i7-1260P

MSRP: $432|Avg: $432

102%

#182

Core Ultra 7 165U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#184

Core Ultra 7 266V

MSRP: $520|Avg: $520

99%

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

97%

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

90%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core Ultra 7 165U leads in gaming performance. However, the Core Ultra 5 135U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core Ultra 7 165U
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 (Meteor Lake-P (2023) / 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core Ultra 7 165U
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 Ultra 7 165U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

No prediction data available

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

League of Legends

No prediction data available

League of Legends

Valorant

Valorant

No prediction data available

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 135U and Core Ultra 7 165U

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 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.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core Ultra 5 135U and Core Ultra 7 165U share an identical 12-core/14-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 135U versus 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 165U — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 165U (base: 1.6 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). Both are built on the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture using a 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 135U scores 16,900 against the Core Ultra 7 165U's 16,857 — a 0.3% lead for the Core Ultra 5 135U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,948 vs 2,350, a 18.7% lead for the Core Ultra 7 165U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,000 vs 10,000 (22.2% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 165U). Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core Ultra 7 165U
Cores / Threads	12 / 14	12 / 14
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.9 GHz+11%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	1.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-P (2023)	Meteor Lake-P (2023)
PassMark	16,900	16,857
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,315	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,948	2,350+21%
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,000	10,000+25%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA2049 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. Both support up to 96 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 5 135U) and SoC (Core Ultra 7 165U).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135U	Core Ultra 7 165U
Socket	FCBGA2049	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB	96 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: Yes (Core Ultra 5 135U) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 7 165U). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Arc Graphics (Core Ultra 5 135U) and Intel Arc Graphics (Core Ultra 7 165U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 7 165U targets Premium Laptop.