Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Intel Core Ultra 7 255U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 256V: Comparison
Core Ultra 7 255U vs Core Ultra 7 256V: the total cores difference
These two are close on paper, and total cores is the only measure that separates them at all: Core Ultra 7 255U 12 against Core Ultra 7 256V 8. Tdp is not the same on both, 15 W on the Core Ultra 7 255U versus 17 W on the Core Ultra 7 256V. There is a split on socket as well, FCBGA2049 on the Core Ultra 7 255U versus FCBGA2833 on the Core Ultra 7 256V. Release year is not the same on both, 2025 on the Core Ultra 7 255U versus 2024 on the Core Ultra 7 256V.
Which should you buy, Core Ultra 7 255U or Core Ultra 7 256V?
Buy the Core Ultra 7 255U for mainstream and business thin-and-light laptops and snappy 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. The Core Ultra 7 256V suits Ultra-thin and light laptops and all-day battery life, though it is not the pick for heavy sustained multi-core workloads and gaming laptops. Our rating of the Core Ultra 7 256V (9/10): the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is a non-vPro Lunar Lake chip for consumer ultra-thin laptops wanting more headroom than the Core Ultra 5 tier.
What Core Ultra 7 255U and Core Ultra 7 256V have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, l3 cache, integrated graphics, form factor and market segment included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Do the Core Ultra 7 255U and Core Ultra 7 256V differ on performance cores?
Yes. Performance Cores reads 2 on the Core Ultra 7 255U versus 4 on the Core Ultra 7 256V.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Laptop
Codename
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Arrow Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Lunar Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 2025
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 2024
TDP
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 15 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 17 W
iGPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Intel Arc 140V GPU
Market Segment
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Arrow Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Lunar Lake
Socket
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- FCBGA2049
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- FCBGA2833
Process Node
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 3 nm
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 3 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 12Best
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 8
Performance Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 2
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 4Best
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 10Best
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 4
Total Threads
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 14Best
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 8
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- No
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 2.0 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 2.2 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 5.2 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 4.8 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 12 MB
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 12 MB
Base Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 15 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 17 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 57 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 37 W
Memory Type
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- LPDDR5/x up to 8400 MT/s, DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- LPDDR5X
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Yes
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U
- 12 TOPS (Intel AI Boost)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 45 TOPS (NPU 4)
Which one should you pick?
Choose 255U if you want the higher L3 cache (12 MB vs 12 MB).
Choose 256V if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
9 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is a non-vPro Lunar Lake chip for consumer ultra-thin laptops wanting more headroom than the Core Ultra 5 tier.