Intel Core 5 221TE vs Intel Core Ultra 5 238V Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy between these two Intel processors. The Intel Core Ultra 5 238V wins 16 out of 17 head-to-head comparisons, with the Intel Core 5 221TE claiming only a single victory. The Ultra 5 238V achieves an average benchmark score of 21981, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, while the Core 5 221TE averages 17860, landing in the 71st percentile.

The Core Ultra 5 238V is the superior choice for nearly all compute workloads. It leads by roughly 27.7% across the entire Cinebench suite, both single-core and multi-core. Its advantages extend to encryption, floating-point math, physics calculations, and even data compression. The only area where the Core 5 221TE wins is integer math, where it scores 42303 against the Ultra 5's 38889, a 8.8% margin.

The Core 5 221TE serves a different purpose. It uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform, supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, includes ECC memory support, and offers 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. These platform attributes matter for specific system requirements. Users needing ECC memory or a desktop socket with more PCIe connectivity might select the 221TE despite its lower benchmark performance.

The data shows the Core Ultra 5 238V as the performance leader across nearly every measured metric. The Core 5 221TE remains viable only for workloads that heavily favor integer operations or for system builders constrained by platform requirements rather than raw throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design families. The Core 5 221TE is built on the Bartlett Lake codename, fabricated on a 10 nm process node at Intel's own foundry. The Core Ultra 5 238V belongs to the Lunar Lake architecture, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, and uses a 3 nm process node manufactured by TSMC. This process node difference explains much of the performance gap, as the smaller node delivers higher efficiency and better transistor density.

Core counts differ substantially. The 221TE has 10 cores and 16 threads, while the 238V has 8 cores and 8 threads. The 221TE offers more parallel threads, yet the 238V still outperforms it in multi-core benchmarks. The 238V compensates with a larger L1 cache of 192 KB per core versus 80 KB per core on the 221TE, and a larger L2 cache of 2.5 MB per core versus 1.25 MB. The 221TE has the larger L3 cache at 24 MB shared, while the 238V has 8 MB shared.

Clock speeds also differ. The 221TE has a base clock of 1.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The 238V runs at a 2.10 GHz base clock and a 4.70 GHz boost clock. Despite the lower boost ceiling, the 238V achieves higher single-core scores, indicating better instructions-per-clock efficiency from the Lunar Lake design.

Memory support diverges. The 221TE supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. The 238V's memory support is listed as dependent on the motherboard, also with a dual-channel bus. ECC memory is supported on the 221TE but not on the 238V.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The 221TE uses UHD Graphics 730, while the 238V features Arc 130V. The PCIe lane allocation also differs: the 221TE provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, whereas the 238V provides Gen 5 with 4 lanes.

The 221TE targets the desktop market with a 45 TDP and an Intel Socket 1700 package. The 238V targets mobile with a 17 TDP and an Intel BGA 2833 socket. The 221TE has a launch MSRP of $232. The release dates differ, with the 238V appearing on 2024-09-23 and the 221TE on 2025-01-12.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Core Ultra 5 238V leads in every multi-core benchmark. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 15645 against 11305 for the Core 5 221TE, a 27.7% advantage. The PassMark multithread test shows 18407 versus 13301, also a 27.7% lead.

Q: Does the Core 5 221TE win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins PassMark integer math with a score of 42303, while the Core Ultra 5 238V scores 38889. That is an 8.8% margin in favor of the 221TE.

Q: Why does the 8-core Ultra 5 beat the 10-core 221TE in multi-threaded tests?

A: The Ultra 5 uses a 3 nm TSMC process node versus the 10 nm Intel node on the 221TE. It also has larger L1 and L2 caches per core. These architectural advantages allow each core to do more work per clock cycle, offsetting the core and thread count deficit.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Core 5 221TE supports ECC memory. The Core Ultra 5 238V does not.

Q: What are the socket requirements for each CPU?

A: The Core 5 221TE fits Intel Socket 1700, a desktop socket. The Core Ultra 5 238V uses Intel BGA 2833, a mobile package, meaning it is soldered to the motherboard.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: The Ultra 5 238V leads decisively. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 2208 versus 1596 for the 221TE, a 27.7% difference. The PassMark single-thread test shows 3890 versus 1734, a 55.4% gap.

Specification Differences

The recorded data shows these differences between the two processors:

• Cores: 10 (221TE) versus 8 (238V)
• Threads: 16 (221TE) versus 8 (238V)
• Base clock: 1.80 GHz (221TE) versus 2.10 GHz (238V)
• Boost clock: 5.00 GHz (221TE) versus 4.70 GHz (238V)
• TDP: 45 (221TE) versus 17 (238V)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1700 (221TE) versus Intel BGA 2833 (238V)
• Codename: Bartlett Lake (221TE) versus Lunar Lake (238V)
• Process node: 10 nm (221TE) versus 3 nm (238V)
• Foundry: Intel (221TE) versus TSMC (238V)
• Die size: 215 mm² (221TE) versus not recorded (238V)
• L1 cache: 80 KB per core (221TE) versus 192 KB per core (238V)
• L2 cache: 1.25 MB per core (221TE) versus 2.5 MB per core (238V)
• L3 cache: 24 MB shared (221TE) versus 8 MB shared (238V)
• Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 (221TE) versus depends on motherboard (238V)
• Memory bandwidth: 76.8 GB/s (221TE) versus not recorded (238V)
• ECC memory: true (221TE) versus false (238V)
• PCIe: Gen 5, 16 Lanes CPU only (221TE) versus Gen 5, 4 Lanes CPU only (238V)
• Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 730 (221TE) versus Arc 130V (238V)
• Market segment: Desktop (221TE) versus Mobile (238V)
• Release date: 2025-01-12 (221TE) versus 2024-09-23 (238V)
• Launch MSRP: $232 (221TE) versus not recorded (238V)
• Part number: SRVQS (221TE) versus SRPN5SRPN4 (238V)

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows a consistent pattern. The Core Ultra 5 238V leads by 27.7% in all six Cinebench tests, from R15 multi-core (1576 versus 1139) to R23 single-core (2208 versus 1596). This uniformity across both single and multi-threaded tests indicates a broad architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific one.

PassMark results show more variance. The largest gaps appear in find prime numbers, where the 238V scores 174 against just 59 for the 221TE, a 66.1% lead. Single-thread performance shows a 55.4% gap (3890 versus 1734). Floating-point math favors the 238V by 40.4% (53160 versus 31661). Extended instructions show a 37.2% gap (15377 versus 9655). Physics tests show a 36.8% difference (1546 versus 977). Data encryption shows a 31.4% gap (13072 versus 8963).

The 238V also wins the remaining tests by smaller margins. PassMark multithread shows a 27.7% lead (18407 versus 13301). Random string sorting favors the 238V by 21.6% (21585 versus 16929). Data compression shows an 11.2% gap (176532 versus 156682).

The single win for the 221TE comes in integer math, where it scores 42303 against 38889, an 8.8% advantage. This result suggests the 221TE's core configuration handles integer arithmetic more efficiently, even though the 238V dominates in almost every other compute category.

Where Each One Wins

The Core Ultra 5 238V wins across the vast majority of measured workloads. Its 27.7% lead in Cinebench tests, both single and multi-core, makes it the clear choice for rendering, video encoding, and general productivity tasks. The 66.1% advantage in prime number finding and the 40.4% lead in floating-point math point to strong scientific and simulation performance. The 55.4% single-thread gap indicates snappy responsiveness in lightly threaded applications. The 31.4% encryption advantage helps with security workloads and file encryption.

The Core 5 221TE claims only integer math. This workload involves basic arithmetic operations without significant floating-point or vector work. Systems that primarily run integer-heavy code, such as certain database operations or legacy applications compiled for integer paths, could see a modest 8.8% benefit from the 221TE. The 221TE also supports ECC memory and offers 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, features absent from the 238V. Desktop builders requiring error-correcting memory or extensive PCIe expansion may choose the 221TE for platform reasons, accepting its lower benchmark scores. Its 45 TDP versus 17 TDP also makes it suitable for desktop cooling rather than mobile constraints.

The percentile data reinforces this split. The 238V sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, while the 221TE sits in the 71st. Their nearest rivals bracket them accordingly: the 238V matches the Intel Core i7-11700F and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X with a 0% delta, while the 221TE sits near the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT with a 0.2% delta. The 238V's average score of 21981 places it in a higher performance class, with the 221TE's 17860 trailing by roughly 23%.