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Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF
Intel's mid-range Arrow Lake-S chip without integrated graphics: 20 cores (8P+12E) at up to 5.5 GHz on a new LGA1851 socket. The unlocked KF variant drops Hyper-Threading entirely, needs a discrete GPU, and requires a fresh Z890/B860 motherboard, so it suits a new build more than a drop-in upgrade.
Pros
- 8 Performance-cores boost to 5.5 GHz while 12 Efficiency-cores handle background work, all with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking
- Native DDR5-6400 support and PCIe 5.0 with 24 CPU-side lanes for fast storage and next-gen GPUs
- 36 MB of L2 cache, more than double the previous generation's flagship, helps cache-sensitive workloads
- Priced below the otherwise identical Core Ultra 7 265K since a discrete GPU is assumed
- Supports up to 256 GB of memory across two channels for heavier multitasking
Cons
- No integrated graphics at all, so a dead or missing discrete GPU means no display output for troubleshooting
- Requires a new LGA1851 motherboard; it is not compatible with any existing LGA1700 board
- Maximum turbo power of 250 W calls for a serious cooler despite the modest 125 W base rating
- Loses Hyper-Threading entirely, so its 20 threads come strictly from 20 physical cores, unlike older Core i7/i9 chips with SMT
Excellent
Computed from specs & benchmarks via our public methodology.
Full specifications
Everything we track for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF
General
- Announced
- 2024
- Socket
- LGA1851
- Process
- 3 nm
- Base TDP
- 125 W
- Max turbo power
- 250 W
- Unlocked multiplier
- Yes
- Cooler included
- No
Cores & Clocks
- Cores
- 20
- Performance cores
- 8
- Efficiency cores
- 12
- Threads
- 20
- Base clock
- 3.9 GHz
- Boost clock
- 5.5 GHz
- L2 cache
- 36 MB
- L3 cache
- 30 MB
Memory
- Memory support
- DDR5-6400
- Max memory
- 256 GB
- Memory channels
- 2
Platform
- PCIe version
- 5
- CPU PCIe lanes
- 24
Benchmarks
- Geekbench 6 (single)
- 3,235Top 9%
- Geekbench 6 (multi)
- 22,483Top 3%
- PassMark
- 58,454Top 10%
Quick answers
Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF good in 2026?
The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF earns an Inno Score of 84.5/100 (“Excellent”) based on its specs and benchmark results. Intel's mid-range Arrow Lake-S chip without integrated graphics: 20 cores (8P+12E) at up to 5.5 GHz on a new LGA1851 socket. The unlocked KF variant drops Hyper-Threading entirely, needs a discrete GPU, and requires a fresh Z890/B860 motherboard, so it suits a new build more than a drop-in upgrade.
What are the key specs of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF?
Cores: 20 · Threads: 20 · Boost clock: 5.5 GHz · Socket: LGA1851
What are the closest alternatives to the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF?
Its closest rivals on InnoReviews are Intel Core i9-13900K, AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K — open the comparison pages for a spec-by-spec breakdown.
