Intel Core i7-11800H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between two mobile processors aimed at different priorities. The Intel Core i7-11800H wins 10 of the 19 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V wins 9. This near-even split masks a stark contrast in workload suitability. The i7-11800H is the choice for sustained multi-threaded productivity, particularly in rendering and integer-heavy tasks. Its 69.2% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core over the Ultra 5 226V is decisive. The Ultra 5 226V, conversely, dominates in single-threaded responsiveness, physics simulation, and floating-point math, making it the pick for users prioritizing snappy everyday use and specific scientific or graphics workloads. The database shows the i7-11800H holds a 74th percentile ranking versus 73rd for the Ultra 5 226V, placing them in adjacent performance tiers overall. The i7-11800H's average benchmark score of 19998 is only 3.3% higher than the Ultra 5 226V's 19368, but the distribution of those points is entirely different. Choose the i7-11800H for heavy parallel processing, especially where Cinebench scores matter. Choose the Ultra 5 226V for superior single-core speed, physics calculations, and power efficiency, as its TDP is 17 watts compared to 35 watts.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from entirely different design philosophies and manufacturing generations. The Intel Core i7-11800H is built on the Tiger Lake-H architecture using Intel's 10 nm process node. In contrast, the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V uses the Lunar Lake architecture fabricated by TSMC on a 3 nm node. This process difference is significant; the 3 nm node is physically smaller and more modern, which contributes to the Ultra 5 226V's lower power draw. Both chips feature 8 cores, but the threading model diverges completely. The i7-11800H supports 16 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the Ultra 5 226V has 8 threads across its 8 cores, indicating a design choice to forgo simultaneous multi-threading for efficiency. The cache hierarchies are notably different. The i7-11800H has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 226V has larger per-core caches at 192 KB of L1 and 2.5 MB of L2, but a much smaller 8 MB of shared L3. This suggests the i7-11800H is optimized for large shared working sets, while the Ultra 5 226V prioritizes per-core locality. Memory support also differs: the i7-11800H uses DDR4 with a measured bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Ultra 5 226V's memory support is listed as motherboard-dependent with no fixed bandwidth figure. The i7-11800H offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, whereas the Ultra 5 226V provides PCIe Gen 5 but only 4 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics are the UHD Graphics 750 on the i7-11800H versus the Arc 130V on the Ultra 5 226V. The socket changes from Intel BGA 1787 to Intel BGA 2833, making them physically incompatible.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i7-11800H scores 2352 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is 34.9% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V's score of 1744.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core rendering?

A: The i7-11800H is significantly stronger. It leads the Ultra 5 226V by 69.2% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (16663 versus 9848) and by 11.9% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (1679 versus 1501).

Q: Which processor is more power-efficient?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 226V has a TDP of 17 watts, which is lower than the i7-11800H's 35 watt TDP, indicating the Ultra 5 226V is designed for lower power consumption.

Q: Does the Ultra 5 226V win any single-threaded benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins several. It scores 3754 in Passmark single-thread versus 3043 for the i7-11800H, a delta of 18.9% in favor of the Ultra 5 226V. It also wins in Cinebench R15 single-core (267 versus 236) and Geekbench single-core (1930 versus 1666).

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: Both processors have 8 cores, but the i7-11800H supports 16 threads while the Ultra 5 226V supports only 8 threads.

Q: Which CPU has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-11800H has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which is three times the 8 MB of shared L3 cache found on the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key differences recorded in the database between the two processors.

| Specification | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Series | Core 11th Gen | Core Ultra Series 2 |

| Core Count | 8 | 8 |

| Thread Count | 16 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 1900.00 MHz | 2100.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.60 GHz | 4.50 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 17 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1787 | Intel BGA 2833 |

| Architecture | Tiger Lake | Lunar Lake |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 3 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 192 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 2.5 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 24 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | Depends on motherboard |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | Not specified |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 4 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 750 | Arc 130V |

| Release Date | 2021-05-10 | 2024-09-23 |

| Launch MSRP | $395 | Not specified |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a processor split along predictable architectural lines. The most dominant win for the Intel Core i7-11800H comes in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where its score of 16663 crushes the Ultra 5 226V's 9848, a 69.2% advantage. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison, driven by the i7-11800H's 16 threads versus the Ultra 5 226V's 8. The i7-11800H also shows a massive 84.8% lead in Passmark integer math (71423 versus 38647), a workload that scales directly with thread count. In Passmark data compression, the i7-11800H again wins by 40.2%, scoring 239304 against 170687. Random string sorting also favors the i7-11800H, with a 36.5% lead (28411 versus 20813). The i7-11800H wins the Passmark multithread test by 12.1% (20012 versus 17850) and leads in extended instructions by 9.1% (16068 versus 14724). In the Cinebench R20 suite, the i7-11800H wins both multi-core (6998 versus 6381, a 9.7% delta) and single-core (987 versus 900, also a 9.7% delta). The i7-11800H also wins Cinebench R23 single-core decisively by 34.9% (2352 versus 1744), which is a surprising result given the Ultra 5 226V's wins in other single-thread tests.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 226V counters with its own set of victories. Its largest win is in Passmark find prime numbers, where it scores 166 versus the i7-11800H's 85, a 48.8% advantage. This is an interesting result, as prime number generation is often sensitive to single-thread speed and cache latency. The Ultra 5 226V also wins Passmark physics by 35.3% (1449 versus 938), a test that often benefits from per-core efficiency. In Passmark single-thread, the Ultra 5 226V scores 3754, which is 18.9% higher than the i7-11800H's 3043. It also wins in Passmark floating-point math by 18.8% (52270 versus 42423), despite losing in integer math. The Ultra 5 226V takes Geekbench single-core (1930 versus 1666, a 13.7% delta) and Geekbench multi-core (8598 versus 7986, a 7.1% delta), showing a more balanced performance profile in that benchmark suite. The data encryption test is a narrow win for the Ultra 5 226V, 12710 versus 12241, a 3.7% delta. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ultra 5 226V wins 267 versus 236, an 11.6% margin. The remaining wins for the Ultra 5 226V are in Cinebench R15 multi-core (1501 versus 1679) and Cinebench R20 single-core (900 versus 987), both of which are losses. Overall, the Ultra 5 226V wins 9 benchmarks, but its victories are concentrated in specific categories. The data suggests the i7-11800H is the brute-force performer for parallel tasks, while the Ultra 5 226V is the efficiency and single-thread specialist, with its 3 nm process and per-core cache layout enabling wins in physics, prime finding, and floating-point math.