Intel Core 5 221E vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison
Intel Core 5 221E
Core Ultra 5 336H
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Core 5 221E vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H
The Intel Core 5 221E and Intel Core Ultra 5 336H are two very different processors aimed at different segments, and the benchmark data confirms a clear split in their strengths. The Core 5 221E wins 12 of the 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons, while the Core Ultra 5 336H takes 5. The Core 5 221E dominates in heavily multithreaded, integer-heavy workloads, while the Core Ultra 5 336H shows superiority in encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, and physics simulations. The average benchmark score for the Core 5 221E is 40144, compared to 34485 for the Core Ultra 5 336H, placing the desktop part in the 87th percentile of all CPUs versus the 84th percentile for the mobile part.
Where Each One Wins
The Core 5 221E is the clear winner for traditional desktop compute tasks. Its largest victory comes in Passmark integer math, where it scores 117813 against 62070, a massive 89.8% advantage. This indicates superior raw processing power for general-purpose arithmetic, which typically translates to faster application performance in everyday software. It also wins the multithreaded Passmark test with a score of 30510 versus 28545, a 6.9% lead, and shows a 15.7% advantage in data compression with a score of 324285 against 280340. The Cinebench suite is entirely in its favor, with consistent 8.1% wins across all R15, R20, and R23 tests, both single and multi-core. For example, in Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 25933 versus 23991 for the Core Ultra 5 336H.
The Core Ultra 5 336H, despite being a mobile part with a lower base clock, wins in several specific computational areas. Its most significant win is in Passmark find prime numbers, where it scores 299 versus 173, a 42.1% advantage. It also leads in extended instructions with a score of 24542 against 18216, a 25.8% gap, and in data encryption with 21291 versus 19205, a 9.8% lead. The physics test also favors the mobile chip, with a score of 2682 versus 2230, a 16.9% advantage. These wins suggest the Core Ultra 5 336H has a more efficient architecture for certain specialized instruction sets and simulation workloads, despite its lower overall core count and clock speeds.
Architecture Differences
The two processors are built on fundamentally different foundations. The Core 5 221E is a desktop part from the Bartlett Lake family, using a 10 nm process node and fitting into the Intel Socket 1700. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its thermal design power is 65 watts. The Core Ultra 5 336H is a mobile processor from the Panther Lake architecture, specifically the Panther Lake-H generation, built on a 3 nm process node and using the Intel BGA 2540 socket. It has 16 cores but only 16 threads, with a base clock of 1.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and a much lower thermal design power of 25 watts.
Cache configurations also differ significantly. The Core 5 221E has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core Ultra 5 336H has a larger 192 KB L1 cache per core and 2.5 MB of L2 cache per core, but a smaller 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The memory support is another differentiator: the Core 5 221E supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it supports ECC memory. The Core Ultra 5 336H supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory, also dual-channel, but with a higher bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and no ECC support. The desktop chip also has more PCIe lanes, offering Gen 5 with 16 lanes, while the mobile chip offers Gen 5 with 12 lanes. Integrated graphics differ as well, with the Core 5 221E using UHD Graphics 730 and the Core Ultra 5 336H using Intel Xe3 Graphics.
The Verdict
The data indicates that the Core 5 221E is the superior processor for desktop workloads that rely on high clock speeds and many threads. Its wins in every Cinebench test, the Passmark multithread test, and the massive integer math advantage show it delivers better performance for content creation, compilation, and general productivity tasks. The 87th percentile ranking against all CPUs, compared to the 84th for the Core Ultra 5 336H, reinforces this. With a launch MSRP of $232, it is positioned as a desktop workhorse.
The Core Ultra 5 336H is the better choice for mobile platforms where power efficiency is critical, given its 25 watt TDP versus 65 watts. Its wins in encryption, extended instructions, and prime number finding indicate a more modern architecture with specific strengths in security and simulation tasks. The higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s also benefits memory-intensive applications. However, its lower overall average benchmark score and consistent losses in Cinebench and integer math mean it is not a direct performance replacement for the desktop part.
FAQ
Q: Which processor has more cores?
A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 cores, while the Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores.
Q: Which processor scores higher in Cinebench R23 multi-core?
A: The Intel Core 5 221E scores 25933, which is 8.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H’s score of 23991.
Q: What is the biggest performance difference between the two?
A: The largest gap is in Passmark integer math, where the Intel Core 5 221E scores 117813, which is 89.8% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H’s score of 62070.
Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?
A: The Intel Core 5 221E has a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, compared to 4.60 GHz for the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H.
Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H support ECC memory?
A: No, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H does not support ECC memory, while the Intel Core 5 221E does.
Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?
A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, which is higher than the 89.6 GB/s of the Intel Core 5 221E.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The Core 5 221E establishes dominance in the Cinebench series with uniform 8.1% margins across all tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 2613 versus 2418. The single-core R15 result is 368 versus 341, a 7.9% win. Moving to R20, the multi-core score is 10891 against 10076, and the single-core score is 1537 against 1422. The R23 tests show the same pattern: 25933 versus 23991 multi-core and 3661 versus 3387 single-core. These results indicate a consistent clock-speed and thread-scheduling advantage for the desktop part.
The Passmark tests reveal a more nuanced picture. The Core 5 221E wins in data compression with 324285 against 280340 (15.7% higher), multithread with 30510 against 28545 (6.9% higher), random string sorting with 37686 against 34402 (9.5% higher), and single-thread with 4147 against 4013 (3.3% higher). Its integer math score of 117813 is nearly double the 62070 of the Core Ultra 5 336H. However, the Core Ultra 5 336H wins in data encryption with 21291 versus 19205 (a 9.8% edge), extended instructions with 24542 versus 18216 (25.8% higher), find prime numbers with 299 versus 173 (42.1% higher), floating point math with 82415 versus 79028 (4.1% higher), and physics with 2682 versus 2230 (16.9% higher).
Specification Differences
The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 2.70 GHz for the desktop part and 1.90 GHz for the mobile part, with boost clocks of 5.20 GHz and 4.60 GHz respectively. The thermal design power is 65 watts for the Core 5 221E and 25 watts for the Core Ultra 5 336H. The process node is 10 nm for the Bartlett Lake chip and 3 nm for the Panther Lake chip. Sockets are Intel Socket 1700 versus Intel BGA 2540. Cache sizes differ: L1 is 80 KB per core versus 192 KB per core, L2 is 2 MB per core versus 2.5 MB per core, and L3 is 24 MB shared versus 18 MB shared. Memory support is DDR4 and DDR5 for the desktop part versus DDR5 and LPDDR5X for the mobile part. Memory bandwidth is 89.6 GB/s versus 115.2 GB/s. ECC support is present on the Core 5 221E but absent on the Core Ultra 5 336H. PCIe lanes are 16 for the desktop part and 12 for the mobile part. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730 versus Intel Xe3 Graphics. The release dates also differ, with the Core 5 221E launching earlier and the Core Ultra 5 336H launching later.