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Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265U: Comparison
Core Ultra 7 165U vs Core Ultra 7 265U p-core boost clock compared
They are built to different briefs, and p-core boost clock shows it, Core Ultra 7 165U 4.9 GHz against Core Ultra 7 265U 5.3 GHz. They differ on memory type too, DDR5, LPDDR5/X on the Core Ultra 7 165U versus LPDDR5/x up to 8400 MT/s, DDR5 up to 6400... on the Core Ultra 7 265U. There is a split on npu peak tops as well, 11 TOPS on the Core Ultra 7 165U versus 12 TOPS on the Core Ultra 7 265U.
Core Ultra 7 165U vs Core Ultra 7 265U: which one fits your build
Buy the Core Ultra 7 165U for everyday laptop computing and on-device AI features, though it is not the pick for gaming laptops and heavy sustained workloads. The Core Ultra 7 265U is the one to take for premium business thin-and-light laptops and fast, responsive office work, browsing and video calls, though it is the wrong buy for gaming beyond older or light titles at low settings and copilot+ PC AI features, which need a 40+ TOPS NPU. Avoid it for heavy video rendering or code compiling, where H-series chips finish sooner. Our rating of the Core Ultra 7 165U (7.9/10): the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U is a efficiency-oriented Meteor Lake mobile chip, well suited to thin-and-light everyday laptops.
Where the two are identical
Everything else lines up. Total cores, performance cores, efficiency cores, total threads and tdp read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 9 further specifications as well.
Do the Core Ultra 7 165U and Core Ultra 7 265U differ on p-core base clock?
Yes. P-Core Base Clock reads 1.7 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 165U versus 2.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 265U.
Is the L3 Cache the same on the Core Ultra 7 165U and Core Ultra 7 265U?
It is. Both are listed at 12 MB, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Laptop
Codename
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Meteor Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Arrow Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 2023
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 2025
TDP
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 15 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 15 W
iGPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Intel Graphics
Market Segment
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Meteor Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Socket
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- FCBGA2049
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- FCBGA2049
Process Node
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 4 nm
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 3 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 12
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 12
Performance Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 2
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 2
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 10
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 10
Total Threads
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 14
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 14
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 1.7 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 2.1 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 4.9 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 5.3 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 12 MB
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 12 MB
Base Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 15 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 15 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 57 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 57 W
Memory Type
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- DDR5, LPDDR5/X
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- LPDDR5/x up to 8400 MT/s, DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- Yes
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- 11 TOPS (NPU 3)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265U
- 12 TOPS (Intel AI Boost)
Which one should you pick?
Choose 165U if you want the higher L3 cache (12 MB vs 12 MB).
Choose 265U if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
7.9 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U is a efficiency-oriented Meteor Lake mobile chip, well suited to thin-and-light everyday laptops.
More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 366H
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165H vs Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 268V
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vs Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
- Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 165U
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 258V