Intel Core 3 304 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225H Comparison

The Intel Core 3 304 and Intel Core Ultra 5 225H occupy different tiers of Intel’s mobile lineup, and the benchmark data confirms a decisive performance gap between them. The Core Ultra 5 225H wins all 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons, with an average benchmark score of 31508 against 13745 for the Core 3 304. The Core Ultra 5 225H sits in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, while the Core 3 304 sits in the 68th percentile. This places the Core Ultra 5 225H alongside desktop-class processors like the Intel Core i5-13500 and AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX, both with near-identical average scores. The Core 3 304, by contrast, finds itself near the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX and Intel Core i7-8750H in overall standing.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows no overlap in workload advantages: the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H wins every single benchmark category, from single-threaded tasks to heavily multithreaded render workloads. The largest victory for the Core Ultra 5 225H comes in PassMark’s find prime numbers test, where it scores 220 against 68 for the Core 3 304, a 69.1% advantage. This suggests a substantial lead in integer-heavy, latency-sensitive calculations that are common in scientific and financial workloads.

In floating-point math, the Core Ultra 5 225H delivers 86540 points versus 29722 for the Core 3 304, a 65.7% gap. That makes the Core Ultra 5 225H the stronger choice for simulations, physics calculations, and any workload that relies heavily on FPU throughput. The data compression test shows a similar pattern: 283451 for the Core Ultra 5 225H versus 114775 for the Core 3 304, a 59.5% advantage. File archiving, database operations, and streaming workloads would all favor the Core Ultra 5 225H.

For single-threaded responsiveness, the Core Ultra 5 225H leads by 15.1% in PassMark single-thread scoring, with 4258 points against 3614. Cinebench R23 single-core confirms this with 1969 versus 1765, a 10.4% gap. While the Core 3 304 is not uncompetitive in single-threaded tasks, the Core Ultra 5 225H still holds a clear edge. In multithreaded rendering, the differences become extreme: Cinebench R23 multicore shows 14629.5 for the Core Ultra 5 225H versus 5263 for the Core 3 304, a 64% deficit for the smaller chip.

The Core 3 304 has no category where it wins, meaning there is no recorded workload where it outperforms the Core Ultra 5 225H. Its strengths are relative to its own modest specifications, not against this rival.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and foundries. The Intel Core 3 304 is built on the Wildcat Lake platform with a 3 nm process node from Intel, using the Core 3 generation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is an Arrow Lake-H part, also on a 3 nm node, but manufactured by TSMC. Both use 3 nm lithography, but the underlying designs diverge significantly.

Core counts differ sharply. The Core 3 304 has 5 cores and 5 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225H has 14 cores and 14 threads. Neither chip uses simultaneous multithreading, so core count equals thread count in both cases. The Core Ultra 5 225H has nearly triple the cores, which explains most of its multicore dominance.

Cache hierarchies are also different. The Core 3 304 has 192 KB of L1 cache, 2.5 MB of L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. The Core Ultra 5 225H lists 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. The larger L3 pool on the Core Ultra 5 225H benefits workloads with large working sets, while the per-core L2 allocation supports higher bandwidth per core.

Memory architecture favors the Core Ultra 5 225H as well. Both support DDR5 and LPDDR5X, but the Core 3 304 uses a single-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. The Core Ultra 5 225H uses dual-channel memory and reaches 102.4 GB/s. This nearly doubles memory bandwidth, which affects every workload that touches memory, from compression to physics to database operations.

PCIe connectivity differs: the Core 3 304 offers Gen 4 with 6 CPU lanes, while the Core Ultra 5 225H provides Gen 5 with 8 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics also differ, with the Core 3 304 using Intel Xe3 Graphics with 1 Xe core, while the Core Ultra 5 225H uses Arc Graphics 130T. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single delta in any test is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Core Ultra 5 225H scores 220 versus 68 for the Core 3 304, a 69.1% lead. This is the most lopsided result in the dataset, indicating a fundamental difference in integer processing capability.

Cinebench R23 multicore shows a 64% gap: 14629.5 versus 5263. This test is heavily reliant on core count and memory bandwidth, both of which favor the Core Ultra 5 225H. Cinebench R20 multicore shows a 58.6% deficit for the Core 3 304, with scores of 10041 versus 4160. Cinebench R15 multicore shows a 64.6% gap, the largest Cinebench delta, with 2397.5 versus 849.

Single-core Cinebench results are closer but still favor the Core Ultra 5 225H. R23 single-core shows 1969 versus 1765, a 10.4% gap. R20 single-core shows 1417 versus 587, which is a 58.6% difference, although this appears anomalous relative to the R23 result. R15 single-core shows 288.5 versus 264, an 8.5% gap.

PassMark integer math shows 68520 versus 24640, a 64% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225H. Floating-point math shows 86540 versus 29722, a 65.7% lead. Data encryption shows 21428 versus 8501, a 60.3% gap. Extended instructions show 21915 versus 9686, a 55.8% gap. Random string sorting shows 33654 versus 13659, a 59.4% gap. Multithread score shows 28119 versus 11625, a 58.7% gap. Physics score shows 1877 versus 868, a 53.8% gap. The PassMark single-thread scores are the narrowest overall difference in the entire dataset, at 15.1% (4258 versus 3614).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has 14 cores and 14 threads, while the Intel Core 3 304 has 5 cores and 5 threads.

Q: How large is the multicore performance gap in Cinebench R23?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225H scores 14629.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while the Core 3 304 scores 5263, a 64% difference.

Q: Which chip has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225H has dual-channel memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, versus single-channel 59.7 GB/s for the Core 3 304.

Q: Are both processors built on the same process node?

A: Yes, both use a 3 nm process node, but the Core 3 304 is fabricated by Intel, while the Core Ultra 5 225H is fabricated by TSMC.

Q: What is the difference in single-threaded PassMark scores?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225H scores 4258 in PassMark single-thread, while the Core 3 304 scores 3614, a 15.1% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225H.

Q: Do either of these chips support ECC memory?

A: No, both processors have ECC memory support set to false.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the Intel Core 3 304 and Intel Core Ultra 5 225H:

• Cores: 5 versus 14
• Threads: 5 versus 14
• Base Clock: 1.50 GHz versus 1.70 GHz
• Boost Clock: 4.30 GHz versus 4.90 GHz
• TDP: 15 versus 28
• Socket: Intel BGA 1516 versus Intel BGA 2049
• Architecture: Wildcat Lake versus Arrow Lake
• Codename: Wildcat Lake versus Arrow Lake-H
• Generation: Core 3 (Wildcat Lake) versus Ultra 5 (Arrow Lake-H)
• Foundry: Intel versus TSMC
• L1 Cache: 192 KB versus 192 KB (per core)
• L2 Cache: 2.5 MB versus 3 MB (per core)
• L3 Cache: 6 MB (shared) versus 18 MB (shared)
• Memory Bus: Single-channel versus Dual-channel
• Memory Bandwidth: 59.7 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 4, 6 Lanes versus Gen 5, 8 Lanes
• Integrated Graphics: Intel Xe3 Graphics (1 Xe) versus Arc Graphics 130T
• Release Date: 2026-04-15 versus 2025-01-12
• Launch MSRP: $309 for the Core 3 304; no MSRP recorded for the Core Ultra 5 225H
• Part Number: SAE3K versus SRQAM
• Average Benchmark Score: 13745 versus 31508
• Percentile vs All CPUs: 68 versus 82