Intel Core i7-12850HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 366H Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 7 366H is the clear performance winner over the Intel Core i7-12850HX, taking 14 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks. Its most dramatic advantage comes in single-core and lightly-threaded workloads, where it leads by margins as large as 57.2% in Cinebench R23 single-core. However, the older i7-12850HX retains a narrow but real edge in three specific workloads: integer math, data compression, and random string sorting. The data suggests that for general productivity, content creation, and any task sensitive to single-thread speed, the Ultra 7 366H is the superior mobile processor; the i7-12850HX is only preferable for niche integer-heavy or compression-driven workloads where its 16-core/24-thread configuration and larger L3 cache prove advantageous.

The Verdict

The benchmark evidence is decisive: the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H outperforms the Intel Core i7-12850HX in the vast majority of tests. The Ultra 7 366H wins all three Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests, with the single-core R23 margin being catastrophic for the older chip at 57.2%. In PassMark tests, the Ultra 7 366H also wins multithread, physics, floating-point math, encryption, extended instructions, find prime numbers, and single-thread tests. The i7-12850HX’s wins are limited to three PassMark sub-tests: data compression (11.7% ahead), integer math (29.1% ahead), and random string sorting (1.3% ahead). Despite the i7-12850HX having more threads (24 vs 16) and a higher TDP (55W vs 25W), it cannot overcome the architectural efficiency of the Ultra 7 366H. For users prioritizing raw speed in modern workloads, pick the Ultra 7 366H. For users running legacy integer-heavy or compression-specific applications, the i7-12850HX is the only choice. The Ultra 7 366H’s avg benchmark score of 41263 is slightly lower than the i7-12850HX’s 41779, but this aggregate hides the fact that the Ultra 7 wins the important tests by large margins while losing the niche ones by smaller amounts.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent radically different design generations. The i7-12850HX is built on the Alder Lake architecture using Intel’s 10 nm process node, while the Ultra 7 366H uses the newer Panther Lake architecture on a 3 nm node. Both have 16 cores, but the i7-12850HX supports 24 threads (implying hyperthreading), whereas the Ultra 7 366H has exactly 16 threads (implying no hyperthreading). The cache layouts also differ significantly: the i7-12850HX has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 25 MB shared L3; the Ultra 7 366H has 192 KB L1 per core, 2.5 MB L2 per core, but only 18 MB shared L3. The Ultra 7 366H compensates for less L3 with double the per-core L1 and L2. The i7-12850HX uses the Intel BGA 1964 socket, while the Ultra 7 366H uses Intel BGA 2540. Memory support differs: the i7-12850HX supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 7 366H supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, with a listed memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s (the i7-12850HX has no bandwidth figure in the data). PCIe lanes also differ: the i7-12850HX offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes, while the Ultra 7 366H offers Gen 5 with only 12 lanes. The i7-12850HX supports ECC memory, while the Ultra 7 366H does not. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770 on the i7-12850HX versus Intel Xe3 Graphics on the Ultra 7 366H. The i7-12850HX has an unlocked multiplier; the Ultra 7 366H does not. The i7-12850HX has a launch MSRP of $428; the Ultra 7 366H has no launch MSRP listed.

Where Each One Wins

The Ultra 7 366H is the overwhelming winner in single-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R15 single-core score of 405 is 35.7% higher than the i7-12850HX’s 260.5. This gap widens in R23 single-core, where the Ultra 7 scores 4020 versus 1720.5, a 57.2% lead. PassMark single-thread scores confirm this: 4043 vs 3683, an 8.9% advantage. This makes the Ultra 7 366H the obvious pick for applications that rely on fast per-core execution, such as web browsing, office productivity, and lightly-threaded creative tools. It also wins the physics test by 37% (2880 vs 1813) and find prime numbers by 66% (326 vs 111). In multi-threaded Cinebench tests, the Ultra 7 366H wins R15 multi-core by 6.7% (2870 vs 2679), R20 multi-core by 8.8% (11960 vs 10907), and R23 multi-core by a massive 42.8% (28477 vs 16301.5). This suggests the Ultra 7 366H’s newer cores are far more efficient per thread. The i7-12850HX wins only where its extra threads and larger L3 cache matter: integer math (108076 vs 83695, a 29.1% lead), data compression (365829 vs 327455, an 11.7% lead), and random string sorting (40327 vs 39814, a 1.3% lead). These are narrow, specialized wins.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 366H, with a score of 4020 versus the i7-12850HX’s 1720.5, a 57.2% difference.

Q: Does the i7-12850HX ever win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the i7-12850HX wins three PassMark tests: data compression (365829 vs 327455), integer math (108076 vs 83695), and random string sorting (40327 vs 39814).

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The i7-12850HX has 24 threads, while the Ultra 7 366H has 16 threads, despite both having 16 cores.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The i7-12850HX has a TDP of 55W, while the Ultra 7 366H has a TDP of 25W.

Q: Which CPU has more L3 cache?

A: The i7-12850HX has 25 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Ultra 7 366H has 18 MB.

Q: Which CPU has a higher percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The i7-12850HX is at the 88th percentile, while the Ultra 7 366H is at the 87th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided victory for the Ultra 7 366H is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 4020 against the i7-12850HX’s 1720.5, a delta of -57.2%. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational leap in per-core performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core test also shows a huge gap: the Ultra 7 scores 28477 versus 16301.5, a 42.8% lead, meaning the newer chip is faster even with fewer threads. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ultra 7 leads 405 to 260.5 (35.7% ahead), and in R20 single-core it leads 1688 to 1539 (8.8% ahead). The PassMark physics test favors the Ultra 7 by 37% (2880 vs 1813), and find prime numbers by 66% (326 vs 111). The Ultra 7 also wins floating-point math by 23.4% (103615 vs 79337), extended instructions by 17.4% (26901 vs 22227), and data encryption by 18.3% (25845 vs 21120). The i7-12850HX’s biggest win is in integer math, where it scores 108076 versus 83695, a 29.1% advantage. Its other wins are smaller: data compression at 11.7% (365829 vs 327455) and random string sorting at 1.3% (40327 vs 39814). The PassMark multithread test shows the Ultra 7 ahead by 8.4% (33429 vs 30627), and single-thread by 8.9% (4043 vs 3683). The overall win count is 14 for the Ultra 7 366H and 3 for the i7-12850HX.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ: both have 16 cores, but the i7-12850HX has 24 threads versus the Ultra 7 366H’s 16 threads. Base clocks are close: 2.10 GHz for the i7-12850HX and 2.00 GHz for the Ultra 7 366H, but both boost to 4.80 GHz. TDP is a major differentiator: 55W for the i7-12850HX versus 25W for the Ultra 7 366H. The socket changes from Intel BGA 1964 to Intel BGA 2540. The architecture moves from Alder Lake to Panther Lake, with process nodes of 10 nm versus 3 nm. Cache sizes differ: L1 is 80 KB per core on the i7-12850HX versus 192 KB per core on the Ultra 7 366H; L2 is 1.25 MB per core versus 2.5 MB per core; L3 is 25 MB shared versus 18 MB shared. Memory support: the i7-12850HX uses DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 7 366H uses DDR5 and LPDDR5X, with the latter having a specified memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. ECC memory is supported on the i7-12850HX but not the Ultra 7 366H. PCIe lanes: the i7-12850HX provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the Ultra 7 366H provides Gen 5 with 12 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770 versus Intel Xe3 Graphics. The i7-12850HX has an unlocked multiplier; the Ultra 7 366H is locked. The i7-12850HX has a launch MSRP of $428, while the Ultra 7 366H has no launch MSRP listed. The i7-12850HX was released on 2022-05-09, while the Ultra 7 366H was released on 2026-01-04.