Core Ultra 5 225H
VS
Ryzen 9 7940H

Core Ultra 5 225H vs Ryzen 9 7940H

Intel

Core Ultra 5 225H

14 Cores14 Thrd20 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2025
VS
AMD

Ryzen 9 7940H

8 Cores16 Thrd35 WWMax: 5.2 GHz2023

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 225H

#49
Core i9-12900HX
MSRP: $606|Avg: N/A
115%
#57
Ryzen AI 9 365
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
105%
#63
Core Ultra 5 225H
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#64
Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
100%
#73
Core i9-13950HX
MSRP: $590|Avg: $199
97%
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 Core Ultra 5 225H leads in gaming performance. However, the Ryzen 9 7940H is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1.2% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore Ultra 5 225HRyzen 9 7940H
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Arrow Lake-H (2025) / 5 nm)
✨ Modern (Phoenix (2023−2024) / 4 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore Ultra 5 225HRyzen 9 7940H
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 225H and Ryzen 9 7940H

Intel

Core Ultra 5 225H

The Core Ultra 5 225H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-H (2025) architecture. It features 14 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 MB + 18 MB. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 28,802 points. Launch price was $385.

AMD

Ryzen 9 7940H

The Ryzen 9 7940H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600. Passmark benchmark score: 29,151 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 225H packs 14 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7940H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 5 225H has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225H versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7940H — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7940H (base: 4.3 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 225H uses the Arrow Lake-H (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7940H uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 225H scores 28,802 against the Ryzen 9 7940H's 29,151 — a 1.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 7940H. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 14,526 vs 17,200 (16.9% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7940H). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,678 vs 2,646, a 1.2% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,337 vs 13,495 (9% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7940H). L3 cache: 18 MB on the Core Ultra 5 225H vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7940H.

FeatureCore Ultra 5 225HRyzen 9 7940H
Cores / Threads
14 / 14+75%
8 / 16
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz
5.2 GHz+6%
Base Clock
4.3 GHz+7%
4 GHz
L3 Cache
18 MB+13%
16 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)
Process
5 nm
4 nm-20%
Architecture
Arrow Lake-H (2025)
Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark
28,802
29,151+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi
14,526
17,200+18%
Geekbench 6 Single
2,678+1%
2,646
Geekbench 6 Multi
12,337
13,495+9%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 225H uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 7940H uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 7940H supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 28 (Core Ultra 5 225H) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 7940H) — the Core Ultra 5 225H offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: WM880,HM870 (Core Ultra 5 225H) and FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 7940H).

FeatureCore Ultra 5 225HRyzen 9 7940H
Socket
FCBGA2049
FP8
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+25%
PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR5-6400
DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
256 GB+100%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
28+40%
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 7940H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 225H) vs AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen 9 7940H). Both include integrated graphics Intel Arc 130T GPU (Core Ultra 5 225H) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 7940H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 225H targets Professional Content Creation Laptop, Ryzen 9 7940H targets High-performance Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 225H rivals Ryzen 7 9800H; Ryzen 9 7940H rivals Core i9-13900H.

FeatureCore Ultra 5 225HRyzen 9 7940H
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel Arc 130T GPU
Radeon 780M
Unlocked
Yes
Yes
AVX-512
No
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
AMD-V, SVM
Target Use
Professional Content Creation Laptop
High-performance Gaming Laptop