Intel Core 5 221E vs Intel Core Ultra 5 236V Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E records an average benchmark score of 40144, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 236V records 21952. The 221E sits at the 87th percentile of all CPUs, compared to the 75th percentile for the 236V.

Q: How do the two processors compare in multi-core rendering?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel Core 5 221E scores 25933 versus 15628 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 236V, a 65.9% advantage. The gap is consistent across Cinebench R15 and R20 multi-core tests, with the 221E ahead by 65.9% in both.

Q: What is the single-thread performance difference?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E leads in Cinebench R23 single-core with 3661 against 2206, a 66% delta. In PassMark single-thread, the advantage narrows to 6.5%, with scores of 4147 and 3893.

Q: Which processor has a larger cache configuration?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 236V has 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The 236V has a larger L1 cache at 192 KB per core versus 80 KB per core on the 221E, and a larger L2 at 2.5 MB per core versus 2 MB per core.

Q: What are the power and platform differences?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has a 65 W TDP and uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 236V has a 17 W TDP and uses Intel BGA 2833. The 221E supports ECC memory and targets desktop platforms; the 236V targets mobile and does not support ECC.

Q: Which processor offers more PCIe lanes?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E provides Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 236V provides Gen 5 with 4 CPU lanes.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design points. The Intel Core 5 221E is a Bartlett Lake desktop part manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 257 mm². The Intel Core Ultra 5 236V is a Lunar Lake mobile part from the Core Ultra Series 2, built by TSMC on a 3 nm process. The manufacturing difference is substantial: the 221E uses a mature 10 nm node while the 236V uses a leading-edge 3 nm node from a different foundry.

Core and thread counts diverge sharply. The 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads, indicating a hybrid configuration with performance and efficiency cores. The 236V has 8 cores and 8 threads, with no simultaneous multithreading. This structural difference explains much of the multi-threaded performance gap.

Cache hierarchies differ by level. The 221E uses 80 KB of L1 per core and 2 MB of L2 per core, with 24 MB of shared L3. The 236V uses 192 KB of L1 per core and 2.5 MB of L2 per core, but only 8 MB of shared L3. The larger per-core L1 and L2 on the 236V reflect a newer core design, while the 221E's larger L3 pool supports its higher core count.

Clock speeds also differ. The 221E has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The 236V has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The 221E holds a 0.50 GHz boost advantage, which contributes to its single-thread lead.

Platform integration is a major split. The 221E supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and it has ECC memory support. The 236V's memory support is listed as dependent on the motherboard and its memory bandwidth is not specified. The 221E offers 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU; the 236V offers 4 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The 221E includes UHD Graphics 730, while the 236V includes Arc 130V. The 236V's Arc solution is positioned for mobile efficiency, but the database does not include graphics benchmarks for either part.

Release timing and pricing also separate them. The 221E launched on 2025-01-12 with a launch MSRP of $232. The 236V launched earlier on 2024-09-23 with no launch MSRP recorded. Both remain in active production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to the Intel Core 5 221E as the stronger processor in every benchmark category measured. It wins all 17 head-to-head comparisons in the database, with the largest margin in PassMark integer math at 203.9% and the smallest in PassMark find prime numbers at 1.2%. Its average benchmark score of 40144 places it at the 87th percentile, while the 236V sits at the 75th percentile with an average of 21952.

The 221E is the choice for workloads that scale with cores and threads. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 65.9% lead, and PassMark multithread shows a 66% lead. The 221E also leads in memory-intensive operations: PassMark data compression is 83.7% ahead, random string sorting is 74.2% ahead, and floating point math is 49.7% ahead. For integer-heavy compute, the 203.9% advantage in PassMark integer math is the single biggest separation in the entire comparison.

The 236V, however, is not without its own logic. It is a mobile part with a 17 W TDP, versus 65 W for the 221E. Its 8 cores with 8 threads and no SMT are sufficient for lighter parallel loads, and its single-thread PassMark score of 3893 trails the 221E by only 6.5%, the closest margin in the single-thread tests. The 236V also uses a 3 nm process from TSMC, which suggests a more power-efficient design, though the database does not provide efficiency measurements.

For a desktop system where power draw is less constrained and raw throughput matters, the 221E delivers decisively higher scores across every recorded test. For a mobile platform at 17 W, the 236V provides competitive single-thread performance at a fraction of the TDP, with the caveat that its multi-thread and memory-heavy results are substantially lower.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core 5 221E | Intel Core Ultra 5 236V |

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

| Cores | 14 | 8 |

| Threads | 20 | 8 |

| Base clock | 2.70 GHz | 2.10 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.20 GHz | 4.70 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 17 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | Intel BGA 2833 |

| Codename | Bartlett Lake | Lunar Lake |

| Generation | Core 5 (Bartlett Lake) | Ultra 5 (Lunar Lake) |

| Process node | 10 nm | 3 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Die size | 257 mm² | Not specified |

| L1 cache | 80 KB per core | 192 KB per core |

| L2 cache | 2 MB per core | 2.5 MB per core |

| L3 cache | 24 MB shared | 8 MB shared |

| Memory support | DDR4, DDR5 | Depends on motherboard |

| Memory bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | Not specified |

| ECC memory | Supported | Not supported |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 16 lanes (CPU) | Gen 5, 4 lanes (CPU) |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 730 | Arc 130V |

| Market segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release date | 2025-01-12 | 2024-09-23 |

| Launch MSRP | $232 | None recorded |

The two processors differ in every structural specification except for dual-channel memory bus and the absence of an unlocked multiplier. The 221E uses a desktop socket, the 236V a mobile BGA package. The 221E has more cores, more threads, a higher boost clock, and a larger L3 cache. The 236V has a smaller process node, larger per-core L1 and L2 caches, and a much lower TDP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core 5 221E wins all 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The most lopsided result is in PassMark integer math, where the 221E scores 117813 against 38765, a 203.9% advantage. This test measures raw integer throughput, and the combination of 14 cores, 20 threads, and a 5.20 GHz boost clock produces more than triple the score of the 236V.

PassMark data compression shows the next largest gap. The 221E records 324285 versus 176554, a 83.7% delta. Random string sorting follows at 74.2%, with scores of 37686 and 21628. These sorting and compression workloads are sensitive to both core count and memory bandwidth, and the 221E's 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth supports its advantage.

Cinebench results are consistent across versions. In R15 multi-core, the 221E scores 2613 against 1575, a 65.9% delta. In R15 single-core, the gap is 65.8% with scores of 368 and 222. R20 multi-core shows 10891 versus 6563, also a 65.9% delta, and R20 single-core shows 1537 versus 926, a 66% delta. R23 multi-core repeats the pattern with 25933 against 15628, a 65.9% delta, and R23 single-core with 3661 against 2206, a 66% delta. PassMark multithread mirrors the multi-core trend at 30510 versus 18375, a 66% delta.

Floating point math favors the 221E by 49.7%, with scores of 79028 and 52774. PassMark physics shows a 48.4% lead for the 221E, 2230 against 1503. Data encryption is 47.2% ahead on the 221E, 19205 versus 13049. Extended instructions show a smaller but clear 17.9% lead, 18216 against 15451.

The closest result in the entire comparison is PassMark find prime numbers, where the 221E scores 173 and the 236V scores 171, a 1.2% delta. This test is single-threaded and relies on the efficiency of the core design rather than core count. The 236V's newer Lunar Lake architecture nearly closes the gap here.

PassMark single-thread and singlethread results are identical in the database, both showing 4147 for the 221E and 3893 for the 236V, a 6.5% delta. This is the second-closest margin and indicates that while the 221E holds a lead in single-thread performance, the 236V's per-core design is competitive in lighter workloads.

The aggregate picture confirms the scoring spread. The 221E has an average benchmark score of 40144, placing it near the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 at 40081 (0.2% ahead) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 at 40048 (0.2% ahead). The 236V has an average of 21952, placing it near the Intel Core Ultra 5 238V at 21981 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Core i7-11700F at 21988 (0.2% behind). The 221E competes at a performance tier roughly 83% higher in average score than the 236V, a difference that the database's percentile rankings reflect: 87th versus 75th.

The wins are not evenly distributed across workload types. The 221E dominates in multi-threaded, memory-heavy, and integer-heavy tests. The 236V comes closest in prime number finding and single-thread PassMark, where its newer architecture narrows the gap but does not overcome the 221E's clock and cache advantages.