Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and Intel Core Ultra 7 165U represent two distinct approaches to mobile computing within Intel’s Core Ultra lineup. The 258V, built on the newer Lunar Lake architecture, targets efficiency and single-threaded responsiveness, while the 165U, a Meteor Lake part, leverages a higher core count for specific multi-threaded workloads. Benchmark data reveals a clear split: the 258V dominates in 16 of 19 head-to-head tests, while the 165U secures 3 wins in specialized areas. Both processors achieve the same 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs, yet their average benchmark scores differ by only about 1%, indicating a close overall performance parity despite their architectural divergence.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking disparity appears in single-core performance. In Geekbench single-core, the 258V scores 2100 against the 165U’s 1450, a commanding 44.8% lead. This margin is echoed in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the 258V’s 285 score surpasses the 165U’s 231 by 23.4%. The pattern continues in Cinebench R23 single-core with a 12.6% advantage (1872 vs. 1662) and in Passmark single-thread, where the 258V’s 4018 outpaces the 165U’s 3357 by 19.7%. These results indicate that the 258V’s architecture delivers substantially higher per-thread throughput, a critical factor for responsiveness in everyday applications.

Multi-core results are more nuanced. The 258V wins Cinebench R20 multicore with a 13.4% margin (6739 vs. 5943) and Geekbench multicore by 27.2% (9325 vs. 7329). However, in Cinebench R15 multicore, the 165U edges ahead by a mere 0.5% (1605 vs. 1596.5), and in Cinebench R23 multicore, the 258V’s lead shrinks to just 0.7% (10301 vs. 10226). The Passmark multithread test favors the 258V by 10.4% (18887 vs. 17101), but the 165U counters with a 25.8% victory in Passmark integer math (57785 vs. 42889). This suggests the 165U’s 12 cores and 14 threads excel in integer-heavy parallel tasks, while the 258V’s 8 cores and 8 threads still manage to win most synthetic multi-core tests.

Specialized workloads reveal further divergence. The 258V dominates Passmark floating-point math by 40.7% (57372 vs. 40775) and Passmark physics by 37.2% (1565 vs. 1141). Its lead in Passmark extended instructions is 38.7% (14717 vs. 10610), and it crushes the 165U in Passmark find prime numbers by 180.3% (185 vs. 66). The 258V also wins Passmark data encryption by 13.8% (13534 vs. 11896) and Passmark random string sorting by 1.5% (21580 vs. 21258). Conversely, the 165U wins Passmark data compression by 6.1% (188105 vs. 176686), indicating its strength in compression algorithms.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V is the clear winner for single-threaded and latency-sensitive workloads. Its 44.8% lead in Geekbench single-core and 23.4% in Cinebench R15 single-core make it the superior choice for applications that rely on fast per-core execution, such as web browsing, office productivity, and general system navigation. The 258V also wins in floating-point math, physics simulations, and encryption tasks, suggesting an edge in scientific computing, 3D rendering, and security-related operations. Its 38.7% advantage in extended instructions indicates better support for advanced instruction sets, which benefits multimedia encoding and complex data processing.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U, despite losing most head-to-head tests, wins decisively in integer math with a 25.8% margin. This makes it better suited for integer-heavy parallel workloads, such as certain database operations, financial modeling, and compression tasks. Its 6.1% win in data compression reinforces this profile, as compression algorithms often rely on integer arithmetic and multi-threading. The 165U’s 12 cores and 14 threads provide more parallel execution units, which can be advantageous in workloads that scale well with core count despite lower per-core performance. However, its narrow 0.5% win in Cinebench R15 multicore shows that the 258V’s architectural efficiency often compensates for its lower core count.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V leads in every single-core test. Its Geekbench single-core score of 2100 is 44.8% higher than the 165U’s 1450, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1872 is 12.6% ahead of the 165U’s 1662.

Q: Does the 165U ever outperform the 258V?

A: Yes, in 3 of 19 head-to-head tests. The 165U wins Passmark integer math (57785 vs. 42889, a 25.8% margin), Passmark data compression (188105 vs. 176686, a 6.1% margin), and Cinebench R15 multicore (1605 vs. 1596.5, a 0.5% margin).

Q: How do the two processors compare in overall average benchmark score?

A: The 258V has an average benchmark score of 20454, while the 165U scores 20249. This represents a difference of approximately 1%, with both CPUs ranking at the 74th percentile among all processors.

Q: What is the difference in core and thread counts?

A: The 165U has 12 cores and 14 threads, while the 258V has 8 cores and 8 threads. Despite having fewer cores, the 258V wins most multi-threaded benchmarks, including Geekbench multicore by 27.2% (9325 vs. 7329).

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The 165U has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which is slightly higher than the 258V’s 4.80 GHz. However, the 258V still achieves higher single-core scores in all tests.

Q: Are there differences in memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, the 258V supports LPDDR5X memory with a bandwidth of 136.5 GB/s, whereas the 165U supports DDR5 with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. This 46.9 GB/s difference may contribute to the 258V’s performance advantages.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several fundamental specifications. The 258V has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the 165U offers 12 cores and 14 threads. Base clocks are 2.20 GHz for the 258V and 1700.00 MHz for the 165U, with boost clocks of 4.80 GHz and 4.90 GHz respectively. The 258V has a TDP of 17 watts, compared to the 165U’s 15 watts. They use different sockets: the 258V uses Intel BGA 2833, while the 165U uses Intel BGA 2049. Memory support differs as well, with the 258V using LPDDR5X and the 165U using DDR5 (dependent on motherboard). Memory bandwidth is 136.5 GB/s for the 258V versus 89.6 GB/s for the 165U. PCIe support varies, with the 258V offering Gen 5 with 4 lanes (CPU only) and the 165U offering Gen 4 with 12 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ: the 258V has Arc 140V, while the 165U has Arc Xe-LPG 64EU. The 165U has a launch MSRP of $448; the 258V has no listed launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these processors is significant. The 258V is built on Lunar Lake architecture using a 3 nm process from TSMC, while the 165U uses Meteor Lake architecture on Intel’s 7 nm process. This process difference likely contributes to the 258V’s efficiency and higher per-core performance. Cache hierarchies differ per core: the 258V has 192 KB of L1 cache and 2.5 MB of L2 cache per core, while the 165U has 112 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core. Both share 12 MB of L3 cache. The 258V is part of the Core Ultra Series 2, while the 165U belongs to Core Ultra Series 1. The 258V’s codename is Lunar Lake, and the 165U’s codename is Meteor Lake. The 258V supports PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes, while the 165U supports PCIe Gen 4 with 12 lanes. The 258V was released on 2024-09-23, whereas the 165U was released on 2023-12-13. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both are for the mobile market segment. The 258V’s part number is SRPMNSRPMT, and the 165U’s is SRN6D.