Core Ultra 7 155U vs Xeon E5-2690 v3

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2690 v3, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2690 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 155U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,027 vs 16,185).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,090 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Xeon E5-2690 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2690 v3, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 155U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,027 vs 16,185).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,090 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 155U better than Xeon E5-2690 v3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2690 v3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 7 155U is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core Ultra 7 155U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 7 155U is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Core Ultra 7 155U is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2690 v3 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core Ultra 7 155U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $2,090 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2690 v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (7.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core Ultra 7 155U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2014), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 threads instead of 12/24. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

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 7 155U Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2690 v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Xeon E5-2690 v3
1080p
low	276 FPS	161 FPS
medium	248 FPS	141 FPS
high	209 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	135 FPS
medium	185 FPS	115 FPS
high	152 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	63 FPS
medium	130 FPS	57 FPS
high	100 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Xeon E5-2690 v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Xeon E5-2690 v3
1080p
low	211 FPS	331 FPS
medium	176 FPS	299 FPS
high	159 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	179 FPS	286 FPS
medium	155 FPS	262 FPS
high	143 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	185 FPS
4K
low	140 FPS	185 FPS
medium	124 FPS	169 FPS
high	118 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	116 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Xeon E5-2690 v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Xeon E5-2690 v3
1080p
low	405 FPS	401 FPS
medium	405 FPS	401 FPS
high	405 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	380 FPS
1440p
low	405 FPS	401 FPS
medium	405 FPS	401 FPS
high	405 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	342 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	396 FPS
medium	405 FPS	319 FPS
high	405 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	240 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Xeon E5-2690 v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Xeon E5-2690 v3
1080p
low	405 FPS	401 FPS
medium	405 FPS	401 FPS
high	405 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	401 FPS
1440p
low	405 FPS	401 FPS
medium	405 FPS	401 FPS
high	405 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	401 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	401 FPS
medium	405 FPS	401 FPS
high	405 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	403 FPS	332 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Xeon E5-2690 v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 155U and Xeon E5-2690 v3

Core Ultra 7 155U

The Core Ultra 7 155U 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 4.8 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: 16,185 points. Launch price was $490.

Xeon E5-2690 v3

The Xeon E5-2690 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 16,027 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 155U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, matching the Xeon E5-2690 v3's 12 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 155U versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2690 v3 — a 31.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 155U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 155U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2690 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 155U scores 16,185 against the Xeon E5-2690 v3's 16,027 — a 1% lead for the Core Ultra 7 155U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 155U vs 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2690 v3.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 155U	Xeon E5-2690 v3
Cores / Threads	12 / 14	12 / 24
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+37%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	2.6 GHz+53%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+700%	256K (per core)
Process	7 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-P (2023)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	16,185	16,027

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 155U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2690 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 155U	Xeon E5-2690 v3
Socket	FCBGA2049	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	768 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40