Intel Core 5 211TE vs Intel Core Ultra 3 105UL Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits these two Intel desktop processors into clearly distinct roles. The Intel Core 5 211TE wins 13 of 17 head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel Core Ultra 3 105UL wins 4. The Core 5 211TE dominates rendering, compression, encryption, and physics workloads. The Core Ultra 3 105UL counters with decisive victories in floating-point math, integer math, and both PassMark single-thread tests.

The Core 5 211TE is the multi-threaded workhorse. Its Cinebench results lead across every version tested, with multicore margins holding near 39.5% to 39.6%. PassMark multithread shows a 13.6% advantage. Physics simulation, a heavily threaded workload, shows the largest single delta in the entire comparison at 78% ahead. Data compression follows at 42%, with extended instructions at 52.9% and prime number finding at 63.6%. These results indicate a processor built for sustained parallel throughput.

The Core Ultra 3 105UL wins where per-core efficiency and math throughput matter more than raw thread count. PassMark floating-point math scores 30750 versus 26150, a 15% advantage. Integer math reaches 41171 versus 33991, a 17.4% edge. The single-thread PassMark result is striking: 3382 versus 1408, a 58.4% advantage for the Ultra 3. That is the largest margin in either direction across the entire benchmark set. The Ultra 3 also claims PassMark singlethread at the same score, confirming the result is reproducible.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. The Core 5 211TE suits workloads that scale with cores and threads: video rendering, compression pipelines, encryption tasks, and physics calculations. The Core Ultra 3 105UL suits workloads that depend on math throughput or single-thread responsiveness: spreadsheet calculations, scientific floating-point code, and lightly threaded applications where one core carries most of the load.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and manufacturing nodes. The Core 5 211TE uses Bartlett Lake silicon built on a 10 nm process, with a die size of 215 mm². It fits the Intel Socket 1700 platform. The Core Ultra 3 105UL belongs to the Core Ultra Series 1 and uses Meteor Lake architecture (Meteor Lake-PS variant) on a 7 nm process. It requires Intel Socket 1851. Both are desktop parts with active production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The Core 5 211TE provides 10 cores and 16 threads. The Core Ultra 3 105UL provides 8 cores and 10 threads. That two-core and six-thread gap explains much of the multicore performance difference. The Core 5 also runs higher clocks: 1.70 GHz base and 4.80 GHz boost, versus 1.50 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost for the Ultra 3.

Cache layouts are not directly comparable per core. The Core 5 211TE has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 20 MB of shared L3. The Core Ultra 3 105UL has 112 KB of L1 per core and 2 MB of L2 per core, but only 10 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 3 therefore has more private cache per core but half the shared L3 capacity.

Memory and I/O also differ. The Core 5 211TE supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with dual-channel bus and 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, plus ECC memory support. The Core Ultra 3 105UL supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and no ECC support. PCIe generations differ as well: the Core 5 provides Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Ultra 3 provides Gen 4 with 8 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics differ too, with UHD Graphics 730 on the Core 5 and Arc Xe-LPG 48EU on the Ultra 3.

The release dates place the Ultra 3 first, launching on 2024-04-07, while the Core 5 arrived on 2025-01-12. Part numbers are SRQDL for the Core 5 and SRN9D for the Ultra 3.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows a consistent and large advantage for the Core 5 211TE. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 1229 against 881, a 39.5% lead. Single-core R15 shows the same 39.5% margin at 173 versus 124. Cinebench R20 multicore gives 5124 versus 3671, a 39.6% edge, and single-core gives 723 versus 518, also 39.6%. Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 12201 versus 8742, again 39.6%, with single-core at 1722 versus 1234, a 39.5% margin. The consistency of these deltas across every Cinebench version suggests a fixed architectural advantage rather than workload-specific behavior.

PassMark results tell a more nuanced story. The Core 5 211TE wins data compression 133434 to 93961, a 42% margin, and data encryption 7231 to 6354, a 13.8% margin. Extended instructions favor the Core 5 at 8615 versus 5634, a 52.9% lead. Prime number finding shows 72 versus 44, a 63.6% lead. Random string sorting goes to the Core 5 at 14838 versus 11179, a 32.7% margin. Physics simulation shows the largest gap: 1278 versus 718, a 78% lead.

The Core Ultra 3 105UL claims the remaining PassMark tests. Floating-point math goes its way at 30750 versus 26150, a 15% advantage. Integer math follows at 41171 versus 33991, a 17.4% edge. The PassMark single-thread result is 3382 versus 1408, a 58.4% advantage, and the duplicate passmark_singlethread test confirms the same numbers. The multithread test goes to the Core 5 at 11685 versus 10285, a 13.6% lead.

Overall average benchmark scores place the Core 5 211TE at 15370, with a percentile rank of 69 among all CPUs. The Core Ultra 3 105UL averages 13061, ranking at the 68th percentile. The nearest rivals for the Core 5 include the AMD EPYC 7543 (15477, 0.7% higher), the AMD EPYC 7702P (15130, 1.6% lower), the AMD Ryzen 3 7440U (15682, 2% higher), and the Intel Core i3-1315U (15022, 2.3% lower). The Core Ultra 3 sits near the Intel Core i5-9400F (13041, 0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-10750H (13024, 0.3% higher), the Intel Core i5-8500 (13142, 0.6% lower), and the Intel Core i7-7700K (13291, 1.7% lower).

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench multicore tests?

A: The Intel Core 5 211TE wins all three Cinebench multicore tests. R15 shows 1229 versus 881, R20 shows 5124 versus 3671, and R23 shows 12201 versus 8742. Each margin is approximately 39.5% to 39.6%.

Q: Why does the Core Ultra 3 105UL win the PassMark single-thread test by such a large margin?

A: The PassMark single-thread score for the Core Ultra 3 105UL is 3382, while the Core 5 211TE scores 1408. That is a 58.4% advantage. The duplicate passmark_singlethread test records the same values, confirming the result.

Q: Do the two processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The Core 5 211TE supports DDR4 and DDR5 with ECC memory enabled. The Core Ultra 3 105UL supports DDR5 only, with ECC disabled. Both use a dual-channel memory bus, but bandwidth differs at 76.8 GB/s for the Core 5 and 89.6 GB/s for the Ultra 3.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: The Core 5 211TE has 10 cores and 16 threads. The Core Ultra 3 105UL has 8 cores and 10 threads. The Core 5 also has higher base and boost clocks at 1.70 GHz and 4.80 GHz versus 1.50 GHz and 4.20 GHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Core 5 211TE has 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core Ultra 3 105UL has 10 MB of shared L3 cache, exactly half. The Ultra 3 does have larger per-core L1 and L2 caches at 112 KB and 2 MB versus 80 KB and 1.25 MB.

Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?

A: Only the Core 5 211TE supports ECC memory. The Core Ultra 3 105UL does not include ECC support.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear choice based on workload. The Intel Core 5 211TE is the stronger processor for multithreaded and memory-intensive tasks. It wins 13 of 17 benchmarks, including every Cinebench test, PassMark multithread, data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, random string sorting, and physics simulation. The 78% physics lead and 63.6% prime number lead are the largest wins in its favor. Its 10 cores and 16 threads, combined with 20 MB of L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5, give it the structural advantage for parallel workloads.

The Intel Core Ultra 3 105UL is the better choice for math-heavy or single-threaded workloads. Its PassMark floating-point and integer math wins at 15% and 17.4% respectively, plus the 58.4% single-thread advantage, show that its Meteor Lake architecture with larger per-core caches delivers superior per-thread throughput. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth also exceeds the Core 5's 76.8 GB/s, which may benefit certain memory-bound single-thread tasks.

The average benchmark scores confirm the overall ranking: 15370 for the Core 5 versus 13061 for the Ultra 3, a gap of roughly 17.7%. Percentile ranks are close at 69 versus 68, indicating both sit near the same tier of all CPUs despite the score gap. Buyers with Socket 1700 platforms and existing DDR4 memory would favor the Core 5. Buyers on Socket 1851 with DDR5 and workloads that favor single-thread speed or math throughput would favor the Ultra 3. Neither processor offers an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not a differentiator.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core 5 211TE | Intel Core Ultra 3 105UL |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 10 | 8 |

| Threads | 16 | 10 |

| Base clock | 1.70 GHz | 1.50 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.80 GHz | 4.20 GHz |

| TDP | 45 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | Intel Socket 1851 |

| Process node | 10 nm | 7 nm |

| Codename | Bartlett Lake | Meteor Lake-PS |

| L1 cache | 80 KB (per core) | 112 KB (per core) |

| L2 cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 20 MB (shared) | 10 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR5 only |

| Memory bandwidth | 76.8 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 16 lanes | Gen 4, 8 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 730 | Arc Xe-LPG 48EU |

| Launch MSRP | $221 | $295 |

| Release date | 2025-01-12 | 2024-04-07 |

| Part number | SRQDL | SRN9D |