Core Ultra 7 265K vs Ryzen 5 240

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 265K

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.4% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc Graphics 64EU, while Ryzen 5 240 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 240 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Ryzen 5 240

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 265K across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,167 vs 58,789).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 265K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 7 265K

2024

Ryzen 5 240

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.4% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc Graphics 64EU, while Ryzen 5 240 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 240 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 7 265K across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,167 vs 58,789).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 265K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 265K better than Ryzen 5 240?

Yes. Core Ultra 7 265K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.4% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data and 153.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core Ultra 7 265K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.4% more average FPS across 47 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 265K is the better fit. You are getting 153.8% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core Ultra 7 265K is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 7 265K is at an unclear MSRP at $309 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 18.4% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (190.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 240 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2024). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 265K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 240 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 5 240
1080p
low	305 FPS	265 FPS
medium	290 FPS	239 FPS
high	244 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	234 FPS
medium	201 FPS	191 FPS
high	163 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	158 FPS	162 FPS
medium	132 FPS	135 FPS
high	102 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 5 240

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 5 240
1080p
low	778 FPS	426 FPS
medium	656 FPS	353 FPS
high	548 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	491 FPS	271 FPS
1440p
low	673 FPS	369 FPS
medium	595 FPS	320 FPS
high	499 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	240 FPS
4K
low	395 FPS	265 FPS
medium	357 FPS	235 FPS
high	335 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	292 FPS	183 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 5 240

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 5 240
1080p
low	851 FPS	579 FPS
medium	694 FPS	579 FPS
high	617 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	528 FPS	579 FPS
1440p
low	731 FPS	579 FPS
medium	599 FPS	579 FPS
high	521 FPS	520 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	449 FPS
4K
low	517 FPS	501 FPS
medium	436 FPS	445 FPS
high	396 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	315 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 5 240

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 5 240
1080p
low	1128 FPS	579 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	579 FPS
high	889 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	808 FPS	579 FPS
1440p
low	892 FPS	579 FPS
medium	789 FPS	579 FPS
high	687 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	611 FPS	545 FPS
4K
low	604 FPS	565 FPS
medium	542 FPS	506 FPS
high	489 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	386 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 5 240

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 265K and Ryzen 5 240

Core Ultra 7 265K

The Core Ultra 7 265K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 20 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 58,789 points. Launch price was $394.

Ryzen 5 240

The Ryzen 5 240 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,167 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 265K packs 20 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 240 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 7 265K has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 265K versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 240 — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K (base: 3.9 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 265K uses the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 5 240 uses Hawk Point (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 265K scores 58,789 against the Ryzen 5 240's 23,167 — a 86.9% lead for the Core Ultra 7 265K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 265K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 240.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 5 240
Cores / Threads	20 / 20+233%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.5 GHz+10%	5 GHz
Base Clock	3.9 GHz	4.3 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)+200%	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	Hawk Point (2024−2025)
PassMark	58,789+154%	23,167
Cinebench R23 Multi	36,309	—
Geekbench 6 Single	3,283	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	22,293	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 265K uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 240 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 5 240
Socket	LGA1851	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	—
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 7 265K) / not specified (Ryzen 5 240). The Core Ultra 7 265K includes integrated graphics (Arc Graphics 64EU), while the Ryzen 5 240 requires a dedicated GPU.