CPU Comparison

Intel Core Ultra 5 325 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 365

A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core Ultra 5 325 is an 8-core, 8-thread mainstream mobile SoC from Intel’s Panther Lake (Core Ultra Series 3) family, built on the Intel 18A process. It combines four Cougar Cove performance cores with four Darkmont low‑power efficient cores, 12 MB of shared Smart Cache, and an integrated 4‑core Xe3‑class GPU with 40 GPU TOPS and a 47 TOPS NPU, targeting thin‑and‑light AI PCs with a 25–55 W configurable TDP.

Intel · Core Ultra 5
Intel Core Ultra 5 325
8C / 8T4.5 GHz25 W
8.2
Full review
Intel · Core Ultra 7
Intel Core Ultra 7 365
8C / 8T4.8 GHz25 W
8.2
Full review

The Bottom Line

Overview & Launch

Brand
Intel
Intel
Market
Consumer / AI PC
Mobile / AI PC
Segment
Mainstream Mobile / Thin-and-Light
Mobile (U-series)
Generation
Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake)
Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake)
Launched
2026
2026
Status
Launched
Launched
Codename
Panther Lake
Panther Lake 8C (4 P‑cores + 4 LP‑E cores)
Series
Core Ultra 5
Core Ultra 7
Family
Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake)
Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake)
Predecessor
Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (Series 1)
Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
Successor
Future Nova Lake mobile (announced, not yet released)

Specifications Compared

Cores & Clocks
Cores
8
8
Threads
8
8
Base Clock
2.1 GHz
2.4 GHz
Boost Clock
4.5 GHz
4.8 GHz
Cache & Power
L3 Cache
12 MB
12 MB
L2 Cache
10 MB
TDP
25 W
25 W
Architecture
Architecture
Panther Lake (Core Ultra Series 3)
Panther Lake (Cougar Cove P‑cores, Darkmont LP‑E cores)
Process Node
Intel 18A (CPU tile); Intel 3 (GPU tile); TSMC N6 (I/O tile)
Intel 18A (≈2 nm class)
Memory
Memory Type
DDR5 / LPDDR5X
LPDDR5X / DDR5
Memory Speed
DDR5-6400; LPDDR5X-7467
LPDDR5X‑7467, DDR5‑6400
Memory Channels
Dual (2)
Dual (2)
Max Memory
128 GB
128 GB
Platform & I/O
Socket
FCBGA2540
FCBGA2540
PCIe Version
PCIe 5.0 and 4.0
PCIe 5.0
PCIe Lanes
12
12
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
Unlocked
No
No

Performance Compared

Productivity

Intel Core Ultra 5 325Best86
Intel Core Ultra 7 36585

Gaming

Intel Core Ultra 5 325Best78
Intel Core Ultra 7 36570

Virtualization

Intel Core Ultra 5 325Best72
Intel Core Ultra 7 36565

Efficiency

Intel Core Ultra 5 32585
Intel Core Ultra 7 365Best90

Specialized Performance

AI / ML

Intel Core Ultra 5 325Very Good
  • 47 TOPS NPU supports Windows Studio Effects and on‑device inference
  • 40 TOPS GPU AI compute complements NPU for hybrid workloads
  • Total CPU+GPU+NPU TOPS competitive for mainstream thin‑and‑light AI PCs
Intel Core Ultra 7 365Strong (for client AI)
  • 49 TOPS NPU5 enables local Copilot+ PC class experiences and efficient on‑device inference.
  • Combined CPU + iGPU + NPU AI performance is competitive for client AI but not targeted at training or heavy server workloads.

Content Creation

Intel Core Ultra 5 325Good
Adobe PhotoshopAdobe Premiere Pro (light/proxies)DaVinci Resolve (basic timelines)Blender (viewport / light CPU rendering)OBS Studio (encoding via Quick Sync)
Intel Core Ultra 7 365Moderate
Photo Editing (Lightroom, Photoshop)Light Video Editing (1080p timelines)Streaming & Video ConferencingAudio Production (moderate track counts)

Gaming

Intel Core Ultra 5 325Good
  • 4‑core Xe3 iGPU suitable for 1080p low/medium in many titles
  • Much faster than older 11th‑gen Xe but slower than 8‑core Xe or Arc B‑series iGPUs
  • Best for light and casual gaming rather than high‑refresh or high‑detail AAA
Intel Core Ultra 7 365Good (iGPU‑class)
  • Xe3 4‑core iGPU significantly faster than older Iris Xe but slower than Arc 140V or higher Xe3 configurations.
  • Suitable for 1080p low/medium settings in many titles; some modern AAA games will require reduced settings or FSR/XeSS.
  • Better for e‑sports and casual titles than for high‑refresh competitive gaming.

Industry Impact

Gaming
Moderate
Moderate
Workstations
Low
Low
Content Creation
Moderate
Moderate
Virtualization
Low
Low

Best CPU by Use Case

Office & Productivity
Excellent
Excellent
Light Code Compilation & Dev Work
Very Good
Photo & Light Video Editing
Good
1080p Casual Gaming
Good
AI‑Enhanced Apps (Effects, Basic Inference)
Very Good
Web Browsing & Multitasking
Excellent
Light Photo & Video Editing
Very Good
Casual Gaming at 1080p
Good
AI‑Enhanced Apps (Copilot+ PC, Studio Effects)
Very Good

Target Audience

Gamers
Content Creators
Targeted
Targeted
Developers
Targeted
Targeted
Workstation Users
Streamers
Office / Productivity
Targeted
Targeted
Students
Targeted
Targeted

Strengths & Weaknesses

Intel Core Ultra 5 325

Pros

  • Strong single‑thread and responsiveness for everyday tasks
  • Meaningful AI compute with 47 TOPS NPU and 40 TOPS GPU
  • Good efficiency on Intel 18A at 25 W base power
  • Capable 4‑core Xe3 iGPU with AV1 and modern display outputs
  • 12 MB Smart Cache improves gaming and threaded workloads
  • Supports DDR5‑6400 and LPDDR5X‑7467 with up to 128 GB RAM

Cons

  • Only 8 threads with no SMT; weaker in heavily threaded workloads than higher‑core SKUs
  • Locked multiplier limits overclocking headroom
  • 12 PCIe lanes may constrain expansion in some designs
  • Only four P‑cores; not ideal for sustained all‑core workloads compared to 6+ core rivals
  • OEM‑dependent GPU branding (Intel Graphics vs Arc) can be confusing
Intel Core Ultra 7 365

Pros

  • Strong single‑thread performance for everyday tasks
  • Intel 18A process delivers excellent efficiency at 15–25 W
  • 49 TOPS NPU5 for local AI and Copilot+ PC features
  • Xe3 iGPU with ray tracing and AV1 support is a big step over older Intel iGPUs
  • Support for up to 128 GB LPDDR5X‑7467 or DDR5‑6400
  • 12 PCIe 5.0 lanes for fast NVMe and peripherals

Cons

  • Only 8 CPU threads; weaker multi‑core than 12–16 core H‑series chips
  • No unlocked multiplier; no manual overclocking
  • iGPU still slower than higher Xe3 configurations or Arc 140V
  • Not intended for sustained high‑power workloads beyond 25 W PL1
  • Early benchmarks show only modest gains versus prior Lunar Lake parts in some CPU tests

Competitors & Alternatives

Intel Core Ultra 5 325

Intel Core Ultra 7 365

Our Verdict on Each

A solid mainstream mobile SoC that delivers meaningful CPU and NPU upgrades over prior Ultra 5 generations, with good efficiency and capable integrated graphics—best for users who want AI features and balanced performance in a thin laptop rather than outright compute headroom.

Best for: Thin‑and‑light AI PC where you want strong efficiency, modern AI features, and better integrated graphics than older Ultra 5 chips, but don’t need the extra cores or GPU power of Core Ultra 7 or X7 SKUs.

Read the full review

A balanced, efficient mobile SoC with strong single‑thread performance, a capable Xe3 iGPU, and serious NPU headroom for AI features, though multi‑core headroom is limited by its 8 cores and 25 W PL1 ceiling.

Best for: Thin‑and‑light business or premium consumer laptops where you want strong single‑thread performance, good efficiency, and modern AI capabilities without needing a discrete GPU.

Read the full review

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core Ultra 5 325 or Intel Core Ultra 7 365?

For gaming, the Intel Core Ultra 5 325 leads with a gaming performance score of 78/100 among Intel Core Ultra 5 325 and Intel Core Ultra 7 365.

Do Intel Core Ultra 5 325 and Intel Core Ultra 7 365 use the same socket?

Yes — all of these CPUs use the FCBGA2540 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.