Intel Core Ultra 5 228V remains competitive against higher models

The illusion of choice.

Intel Core Ultra CPU.

The latest Geekbench 6 leak shows that low-range Lunar Lake processors are just as good as their higher siblings. The Intel Core Ultra 200V series seems to mainly differ by frequency.

According to a new Geekbench 6 test result, the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V delivers 2,585 single-core points and 10,053 multi-core points. This puts it in the ballpark of previously tested Core Ultra 200V CPUs, especially in multi-core benchmarks. The separation is mainly seen in single-core results, where the 228V delivers about 10% lower score.

Compared to current-gen offerings, Core Ultra 5 228V (and the rest of the stack, for that matter) delivers above 13% higher single-core performance than Meteor Lake Core Ultra 9 185H. However, the latter still wins in multi-core thanks to its higher core count and TDP (Thermal Design Power).

This is totally understandable since all known Lunar Lake processors carry eight cores and eight threads, with a slight difference in the iGPU and NPU (Neural Processing Unit). True performance all comes down to the varying frequencies and accompanying power budget. This means that each of these CPUs should serve you well, assuming their eight cores are enough for you.

As a reminder, aside from the Core Ultra 5 226V, which only differs by its smaller 16GB of on-package RAM, the Ultra 5 228V is the lowest Lunar Lake chip we know of. Inside, we find four Lion Cove P cores clocked up to 4.5GHz alongside four Skymont E cores at 3.5GHz. An Intel Arc 130V iGPU handles the visuals, packing 56 compute units at 1.85GHz boost. The entire chip gets access to 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory, with 17W base and 30W boost power targets.

Intel expects to launch Lunar Lake processors on September 3. As this date approaches, we should start seeing more leaks, so stay tuned.