Core Ultra 7 268V vs Core i5-11600K

The Core Ultra 7 268V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-11600K offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 7 268V has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 268V versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-11600K — a 2% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 268V (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 268V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Core i5-11600K uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 268V scores 19,698 against the Core i5-11600K's 19,520 — a 0.9% lead for the Core Ultra 7 268V. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

The Core Ultra 7 268V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i5-11600K uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5x-8533 on the Core Ultra 7 268V versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-11600K — the Core Ultra 7 268V supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-11600K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 7 268V) vs 20 (Core i5-11600K) — the Core i5-11600K offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 7 268V) and Intel 500 series,Intel 400 series (Core i5-11600K).

Only the Core i5-11600K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i5-11600K supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core Ultra 7 268V) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-11600K). Both include integrated graphics — Arc Graphics 140V (Core Ultra 7 268V) and UHD Graphics 750 (Core i5-11600K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 7 268V targets Productivity, Core i5-11600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 7 268V rivals Core Ultra 7 155H.

The Core Ultra 7 268V launched at $450 MSRP, while the Core i5-11600K debuted at $262. At current prices ($400 vs $170), the Core i5-11600K is $230 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 7 268V delivers 49.2 pts/$ vs 114.8 pts/$ for the Core i5-11600K — making the Core i5-11600K the 79.9% better value option.