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

✅+27.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840S mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1462.5% higher power demand at 125W vs 8W.

Ryzen 7 7840S

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 8W instead of 125W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,570 vs 3,283).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (13,500 vs 36,309).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Core Ultra 7 265K

2024

Ryzen 7 7840S

2023

Why buy it

✅+27.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 8W instead of 125W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840S mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1462.5% higher power demand at 125W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,570 vs 3,283).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (13,500 vs 36,309).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 265K better than Ryzen 7 7840S?

Yes. Core Ultra 7 265K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.9% average FPS lead across 36 shared CPU game tests in our data, 169% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 152.4% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, 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 2.9% more average FPS across 36 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 169% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 $309 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 2.9% average FPS lead across 36 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (190.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core Ultra 7 265K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023), 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. 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 265K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7840S Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	305 FPS	269 FPS
medium	290 FPS	243 FPS
high	244 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	236 FPS
medium	201 FPS	193 FPS
high	163 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	158 FPS	164 FPS
medium	132 FPS	136 FPS
high	102 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 7 7840S

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	778 FPS	509 FPS
medium	656 FPS	419 FPS
high	548 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	491 FPS	322 FPS
1440p
low	673 FPS	445 FPS
medium	595 FPS	386 FPS
high	499 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	283 FPS
4K
low	395 FPS	293 FPS
medium	357 FPS	266 FPS
high	335 FPS	251 FPS
ultra	292 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 7 7840S

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	851 FPS	582 FPS
medium	694 FPS	582 FPS
high	617 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	528 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	731 FPS	582 FPS
medium	599 FPS	582 FPS
high	521 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	517 FPS	541 FPS
medium	436 FPS	473 FPS
high	396 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	355 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 7 7840S

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	1128 FPS	582 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	582 FPS
high	889 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	808 FPS	582 FPS
1440p
low	892 FPS	582 FPS
medium	789 FPS	582 FPS
high	687 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	611 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	604 FPS	572 FPS
medium	542 FPS	511 FPS
high	489 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 265K Open Ryzen 7 7840S

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 265K and Ryzen 7 7840S

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 7 7840S

The Ryzen 7 7840S is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,290 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 265K packs 20 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7840S offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 7 265K has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 265K versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7840S — a 7.5% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K (base: 3.9 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 265K uses the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7840S uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 265K scores 58,789 against the Ryzen 7 7840S's 23,290 — a 86.5% lead for the Core Ultra 7 265K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 36,309 vs 13,500 (91.6% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,283 vs 2,570, a 24.4% lead for the Core Ultra 7 265K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 22,293 vs 13,535 (48.9% advantage for the Core Ultra 7 265K). L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 265K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 7 7840S.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 7 7840S
Cores / Threads	20 / 20+150%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.5 GHz+8%	5.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.9 GHz+3%	3.8 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)	8 MB+167%
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	58,789+152%	23,290
Cinebench R23 Multi	36,309+169%	13,500
Geekbench 6 Single	3,283+28%	2,570
Geekbench 6 Multi	22,293+65%	13,535

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 265K uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 7840S uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. Both support up to 256 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: LGA1851 (Core Ultra 7 265K) and SoC (Ryzen 7 7840S).

Feature	Core Ultra 7 265K	Ryzen 7 7840S
Socket	LGA1851	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-5600, LPDDR5x-7500
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	256 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core Ultra 7 265K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 7 265K) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 7 7840S). Both include integrated graphics — Arc Graphics 64EU (Core Ultra 7 265K) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 7 7840S) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7840S targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7840S rivals Core i7-1360P.