Intel Core 7 150U vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data records a decisive sweep for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T across every single measured workload. Of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, the Core Ultra 5 225T wins all 17, with the Intel Core 7 150U recording zero wins. The margins, however, vary significantly by workload type, and the pattern of those margins reveals a great deal about the architectural differences between the two.

The largest single gap appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Core Ultra 5 225T scores 21,971 against the Core 7 150U's 8,883, a delta of -59.6% from the 150U's perspective. That is the widest margin of any benchmark in the set. The R20 multi-core test shows a similar story, with the Ultra 5 225T posting 9,227 versus 5,248, a -43.1% delta. The R15 multi-core test narrows the gap slightly, with the Ultra 5 225T at 2,214 and the 150U at 1,505.5, a -32% delta. These results indicate that sustained multi-threaded performance is a fundamental strength of the Ultra 5 225T, not merely a marginal advantage.

Single-core performance tells a more moderate story. The Cinebench R23 single-core result has the Ultra 5 225T at 3,101 versus 1,875.5, a -39.5% delta. R20 single-core shows 1,302 against 740, a -43.2% delta, and R15 single-core shows 312 versus 254, a -18.6% delta. The smaller delta in R15 suggests that the older benchmark does not fully stress the architectural differences that appear in later versions of the Cinebench suite.

PassMark workloads reinforce the picture. The most extreme margin in the entire dataset is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Ultra 5 225T scores 284 against the 150U's 58, a -79.6% delta. This workload is highly sensitive to integer execution efficiency and memory latency, and the gap is enormous. PassMark extended instructions shows a -56.4% delta (20,083 versus 8,748), while floating point math shows a -58.4% delta (82,751 versus 34,405). PassMark physics records 2,053 versus 1,012, a -50.7% delta.

Moderate margins appear in other PassMark tests. Data encryption shows 18,289 versus 10,025, a -45.2% delta. PassMark multithread shows 25,358 versus 14,700, a -42% delta. Random string sorting shows 28,774 versus 18,269, a -36.5% delta. Data compression shows 233,998 versus 158,622, a -32.2% delta. The narrowest margin in the entire dataset is PassMark integer math, where the Ultra 5 225T scores 59,543 versus 51,057, a -14.3% delta. Single-threaded PassMark shows 4,348 versus 3,508, a -19.3% delta.

The overall database position confirms the hierarchy. The Core Ultra 5 225T holds an average benchmark score of 30,468 and sits at the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. The Core 7 150U averages 17,395 and sits at the 71st percentile. The nearest rivals for the Ultra 5 225T include the Intel Core i9-11980HK at 30,422 (a 0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS at 30,390 (a 0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U at 30,364 (a 0.3% delta). The Core i5-13600H sits slightly above at 30,548, a -0.3% delta from the Ultra 5 225T. For the Core 7 150U, the nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 4500 at 17,333 (0.4% delta), the AMD Ryzen 3 210 at 17,321 (0.4% delta), the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE at 17,482 (-0.5% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G at 17,507 (-0.6% delta). The Ultra 5 225T's rivals are all substantially more powerful processors, which reflects its much higher average score.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has an average benchmark score of 30,468, while the Intel Core 7 150U averages 17,395. The Ultra 5 225T also sits at the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, compared to the 71st percentile for the 150U.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap in Cinebench?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Core Ultra 5 225T scores 21,971 against the Core 7 150U's 8,883, a delta of -59.6%. In R20 multi-core, the scores are 9,227 versus 5,248, a -43.1% delta. In R15 multi-core, the scores are 2,214 versus 1,505.5, a -32% delta.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 7 150U has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Despite the lower boost clock, the Ultra 5 225T wins all single-core benchmarks in the dataset.

Q: What is the difference in thread counts?

A: The Intel Core 7 150U has 12 threads from its 10 cores, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 10 threads from its 10 cores. The 150U supports Hyper-Threading, whereas the Ultra 5 225T does not, based on the core and thread counts.

Q: How does the single-threaded PassMark score compare?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T scores 4,348 in PassMark single-thread, while the Intel Core 7 150U scores 3,508, a -19.3% delta. The same margin appears when comparing the two single-thread entries recorded in the database.

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin between the two processors?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T scores 284 against the Intel Core 7 150U's 58, a -79.6% delta. The smallest margin is in PassMark integer math, at -14.3% (59,543 versus 51,057).

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins every recorded benchmark, so the use-case split is not about which processor wins a given task type. Instead, the data supports a split based on the degree of dominance and the workload profile. For heavily multi-threaded, long-running compute tasks such as 3D rendering, video encoding, and physics simulation, the Ultra 5 225T delivers its largest margins. Cinebench R23 multi-core at -59.6% and PassMark physics at -50.7% are indicative of that strength. The PassMark floating point math result, at -58.4%, and extended instructions, at -56.4%, point to strong vector and SIMD performance as well.

For integer-heavy workloads, the Ultra 5 225T still wins, but by a narrower margin. PassMark integer math shows only a -14.3% delta, and PassMark data compression shows -32.2%. The find prime numbers test, which is integer-heavy, shows a -79.6% delta, so the integer advantage varies considerably depending on the exact instruction mix. The Core 7 150U is not competitive in any absolute sense, but its relative position is strongest in integer math and single-threaded PassMark, where the deltas are -14.3% and -19.3% respectively. Those are the workloads where the 150U comes closest to matching the Ultra 5 225T.

The market segment split also matters. The Core 7 150U is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP, while the Core Ultra 5 225T is a desktop processor with a 65 W TDP. The data indicates that the mobile part cannot match the desktop part in sustained output, which aligns with the power envelope difference. The Core 7 150U's role is limited to scenarios where its lower power draw and mobile socket are the primary constraints, not peak performance. Even in single-threaded tests, where power limits matter less, the Ultra 5 225T leads by margins of -18.6% to -43.2% depending on the Cinebench version.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification field. The Intel Core 7 150U uses 10 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T uses 10 cores and 10 threads. The base clock of the 150U is 1.80 GHz, while the Ultra 5 225T runs at 2.50 GHz. The boost clock reverses the order: the 150U boosts to 5.40 GHz, the Ultra 5 225T to 4.90 GHz. The TDP differs substantially, with the 150U at 15 W and the Ultra 5 225T at 65 W. The sockets are incompatible: the 150U uses Intel BGA 1744, while the Ultra 5 225T uses Intel Socket 1851.

Memory support differs as well. The Core 7 150U supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 5 225T supports DDR5 only. Both use dual-channel memory buses. The Ultra 5 225T has a recorded memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, while the 150U has no bandwidth figure recorded. The PCIe configuration is a major differentiator: the 150U offers Gen 4 with 8 CPU lanes, while the Ultra 5 225T offers Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes.

The integrated graphics differ. The Core 7 150U uses Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units, while the Ultra 5 225T uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 execution units. The market segment also differs: the 150U is a mobile part, the Ultra 5 225T is a desktop part. The release dates differ as well, with the 150U released in January 2024 and the Ultra 5 225T in December 2024. Neither processor has a recorded launch MSRP, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between the two processors is wide and explains the benchmark results. The Intel Core 7 150U uses the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-U codename, built on Intel's 10 nm process node at Intel as the foundry. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T uses the Arrow Lake architecture with the Arrow Lake-S codename, built on TSMC's 3 nm process node. The transition from 10 nm to 3 nm is a major generational leap in transistor density and power efficiency.

The cache hierarchy differs significantly. The Core 7 150U has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core Ultra 5 225T has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger per-core caches in the Ultra 5 225T contribute to its single-threaded advantages, particularly in memory-latency-sensitive workloads such as PassMark find prime numbers, which shows the largest delta in the dataset.

The Ultra 5 225T also has recorded transistor and die size figures: 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The Core 7 150U has no recorded transistor count or die size. The memory bandwidth figure of 102.4 GB/s for the Ultra 5 225T, combined with its Gen 5 PCIe interface and 20 CPU lanes, indicates a substantially more capable platform for data-intensive tasks. The 150U's Gen 4 interface with 8 CPU lanes is more limited, though it does support both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, which the Ultra 5 225T does not.

The integrated graphics architectures also differ, with the 150U using Iris Xe Graphics at 96 EUs and the Ultra 5 225T using Arc Xe-LPG Graphics at 16 EUs. The Ultra 5 225T's graphics has fewer execution units, but the architecture is newer. The 150U's higher EU count suggests a stronger integrated graphics solution on paper, though the database does not include graphics benchmarks to verify that. The process node difference, from Intel 10 nm to TSMC 3 nm, is the most fundamental architectural change, and the benchmark data shows its effect across every workload category.