Core Ultra 5 235U vs Ryzen 7 4980U

Core Ultra 5 235U vs Ryzen 7 4980U Performance Spectrum

Core Ultra 5 235U

12 / 14

17,397

0.0%

17,469

+0.4%

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Core Ultra 5 235U vs Ryzen 7 4980U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core Ultra 5 235U vs Ryzen 7 4980U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core Ultra 5 235U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 15W, a 1W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,397 vs 17,469).

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 235U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 235U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 235U better than Ryzen 7 4980U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 235U is ahead with a 20.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4980U pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark. Core Ultra 5 235U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4980U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core Ultra 5 235U still makes the most sense overall. Core Ultra 5 235U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 20.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core Ultra 5 235U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB). That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core Ultra 5 235U vs Ryzen 7 4980U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core Ultra 5 235U

The Core Ultra 5 235U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 14 MB + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,397 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 4980U

The Ryzen 7 4980U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,469 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 235U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4980U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 5 235U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 235U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4980U — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 235U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 235U uses the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4980U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 235U scores 17,397 against the Ryzen 7 4980U's 17,469 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 4980U. L3 cache: 12 MB on the Core Ultra 5 235U vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4980U.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235U	Ryzen 7 4980U
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	512 kB (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-U (2025)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	17,397	17,469

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 235U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 4980U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.