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Intel Core Ultra 7 256V vs Intel Core Ultra 7 356H: Comparison
Core Ultra 7 256V vs Core Ultra 7 356H: the l3 cache difference
The gap that matters here is l3 cache: Core Ultra 7 256V 12 MB against Core Ultra 7 356H 18 MB, which puts Core Ultra 7 356H 33% ahead. There is a split on tdp as well, 17 W on the Core Ultra 7 256V versus 25 W on the Core Ultra 7 356H. Socket is not the same on both, FCBGA2833 on the Core Ultra 7 256V versus FCBGA2540 on the Core Ultra 7 356H. Release year is not the same on both, 2024 on the Core Ultra 7 256V versus 2026 on the Core Ultra 7 356H.
Core Ultra 7 256V vs Core Ultra 7 356H: which one fits your build
Buy the Core Ultra 7 256V for Ultra-thin and light laptops and all-day battery life, though it is the wrong buy for heavy sustained multi-core workloads and gaming laptops. Take the Core Ultra 7 356H for mainstream performance laptops pairing 16 cores with a discrete GPU, using the 20 PCIe lanes. It is equally the pick for users wanting a 50 TOPS NPU and 16 cores on Panther Lake. It is the wrong buy for buyers relying on integrated graphics, since it has only 4 Xe3 cores. 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.
Where the two are identical
Everything else lines up. Performance cores, integrated graphics, form factor, market segment and smt enabled read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing.
Do the Core Ultra 7 256V and Core Ultra 7 356H differ on total cores?
Yes. Total Cores reads 8 on the Core Ultra 7 256V versus 16 on the Core Ultra 7 356H.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Laptop
Codename
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Lunar Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Panther Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 2024
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 2026
TDP
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 17 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 25 W
iGPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Intel Arc 140V GPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Intel Arc (4 Xe3-cores)
Market Segment
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Lunar Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Panther Lake, Intel Core Ultra Series 3
Socket
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- FCBGA2833
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- FCBGA2540
Process Node
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 3 nm
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 18 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 8
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 16Best
Performance Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 4
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 4
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 4
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 8Best
Total Threads
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 8
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 16Best
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- No
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- No
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 2.2 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 1.9 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 4.8 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 4.7 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 12 MB-33%
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 18 MBBest
Base Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 17 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 25 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 37 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 80 W
Memory Type
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- LPDDR5X
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- DDR5, LPDDR5x
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Yes
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
- 45 TOPS (NPU 4)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 50 TOPS (NPU 5)
Which one should you pick?
Choose 256V if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose 356H if you want the higher L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
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.