Core Ultra 7 164U vs Ryzen 5 5500U

Core Ultra 7 164U

12 Cores14 Thrd0 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2023

Ryzen 5 5500U

6 Cores12 Thrd15 WWMax: 4 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core Ultra 7 164U

12 / 14

12,625

0.0%

12,736

+0.9%

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

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.

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. The Core Ultra 7 164U is positioned at rank 675 and the Ryzen 5 5500U is on rank 73, so the Ryzen 5 5500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

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 7 164U

#663

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

930%

#664

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

916%

#665

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

841%

#666

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

837%

#667

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

829%

#669

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

801%

#670

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

768%

#671

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

767%

#672

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

746%

#675

Core Ultra 7 164U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#681

Core i3-N305

MSRP: $309|Avg: $309

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 5500U

#15

Ryzen 5 220

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

98%

#18

Ryzen 5 8500G

MSRP: $179|Avg: $150

94%

#61

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

230%

#62

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

227%

#63

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

208%

#64

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

207%

#65

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

206%

#67

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

198%

#68

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

190%

#69

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

190%

#70

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

185%

#73

Ryzen 5 5500U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#75

Core i3-4030U

MSRP: $281|Avg: N/A

98%

#79

Atom D2500

MSRP: $42|Avg: N/A

95%

#88

Core 2 Duo T7500

MSRP: $316|Avg: $5

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core Ultra 7 164U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Ryzen 5 5500U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core Ultra 7 164U	Ryzen 5 5500U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Meteor Lake-U (2023) / 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) / 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core Ultra 7 164U	Ryzen 5 5500U
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 7 164U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5500U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 164U and Ryzen 5 5500U

Core Ultra 7 164U

The Core Ultra 7 164U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 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: FCBGA2551. Thermal design power (TDP): + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 12,625 points. Launch price was $448.

Ryzen 5 5500U

The Ryzen 5 5500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,736 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 164U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5500U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 7 164U has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 164U versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500U — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 164U (base: 1.1 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 164U uses the Meteor Lake-U (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5500U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 164U scores 12,625 against the Ryzen 5 5500U's 12,736 — a 0.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 5500U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,766 vs 6,900 (23.8% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 164U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,131 vs 1,100, a 63.8% lead for the Core Ultra 7 164U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,973 vs 5,200 (53.2% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 164U). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 164U vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5500U.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 164U	Ryzen 5 5500U
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+20%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	2.1 GHz+91%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-U (2023)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	12,625	12,736
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,766+27%	6,900
Geekbench 6 Single	2,131+94%	1,100
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,973+73%	5,200

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 164U uses the FCBGA2551 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 5500U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5x-6400 on the Core Ultra 7 164U versus DDR4 3200 MHz on the Ryzen 5 5500U — the Ryzen 5 5500U supports 200% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 12 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Meteor Lake-U (Core Ultra 7 164U) and FP6 (Ryzen 5 5500U).

Feature	Core Ultra 7 164U	Ryzen 5 5500U
Socket	FCBGA2551	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-6400+25%	DDR4 3200 MHz
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	12	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 7 164U) vs true (Ryzen 5 5500U). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Arc (Core Ultra 7 164U) and AMD Radeon Graphics (Vega 7) (Ryzen 5 5500U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 7 164U targets Enthusiast, Ryzen 5 5500U targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 7 164U rivals Ryzen 7 7840U.