Intel Core 5 223PE vs Intel Core Ultra 5 338H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core 5 223PE and Intel Core Ultra 5 338H present a clear split in benchmark results, with the desktop part winning 13 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The largest margin belongs to the Core 5 223PE in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 3734 against 2044 for the Ultra 5 338H, a 82.7% advantage. That gap is unusually large for a single-threaded test and indicates a substantial per-core performance difference between the two designs.

Cinebench R23 multi-core tells a similar story, though with a smaller margin. The Core 5 223PE posts 26455, while the Ultra 5 338H reaches 16331, giving the desktop chip a 62% lead. The older Cinebench versions show narrower gaps: R15 multi-core favors the Core 5 223PE by 6.5% (2666 versus 2504), and R20 multi-core shows an 8.8% edge (11111 versus 10213). The gap widens as the workload scales, which suggests the Core 5 223PE maintains its advantage under sustained multi-threaded load.

Single-core results in Cinebench R15 and R20 also favor the Core 5 223PE. R15 single-core gives it a 23.3% lead (376 versus 305), and R20 single-core shows an 8.8% advantage (1568 versus 1441). The PassMark single-thread test is much closer, with the Core 5 223PE ahead by only 0.9% (4219 versus 4180). That near tie in PassMark contrasts sharply with the Cinebench R23 single-core result, indicating the two chips handle different instruction mixes with very different efficiency.

The Ultra 5 338H does claim four wins. PassMark data encryption goes to the mobile chip by 13.7% (21367 versus 18448). PassMark find prime numbers shows the Ultra 5 338H at 304 versus 159, a 47.7% advantage. Floating point math favors the Ultra 5 338H by 9% (84067 versus 76468), and physics testing gives it a 7.6% edge (2697 versus 2493). These wins cluster around specialized math and encryption workloads, where the Ultra 5 338H's architecture appears better suited.

Integer math is a decisive win for the Core 5 223PE, which scores 99819 against 64934, a 53.7% margin. Data compression also goes to the Core 5 223PE by 25.3% (346623 versus 276539). Extended instructions favor the desktop chip by 3.2% (24672 versus 23906), and random string sorting gives it a 5% edge (35798 versus 34082). The PassMark multi-thread score goes to the Core 5 223PE by 8.4% (31124 versus 28717).

The average benchmark score reflects the overall gap. The Core 5 223PE averages 40585, while the Ultra 5 338H averages 33989. That places the Core 5 223PE at the 87th percentile of all CPUs in the database, against the 84th percentile for the Ultra 5 338H. The nearest rival for the Core 5 223PE is the Intel Core 7 253PE at 40557, only 0.1% behind, while the Ultra 5 338H sits close to the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H at 34083, a 0.3% difference.

Where Each One Wins

The Core 5 223PE dominates general-purpose and heavily threaded workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core lead of 62% over the Ultra 5 338H makes it the stronger choice for rendering, video encoding, and other long-running CPU-bound tasks. The 53.7% advantage in integer math reinforces that position, as does the 25.3% edge in data compression. Single-thread performance is also a Core 5 223PE strength, particularly in Cinebench R23 single-core where it leads by 82.7%. PassMark single-thread shows only a 0.9% difference, so the gap is workload-dependent.

The Ultra 5 338H wins in four specific areas. Data encryption, prime number finding, floating point math, and physics all go its way. The 47.7% lead in prime number finding is the largest of its four wins, and the 13.7% encryption margin suggests its architecture handles cryptography-related instructions more efficiently. Floating point math at 9% ahead and physics at 7.6% ahead round out its advantages. These are compute-focused tasks rather than general productivity workloads.

For users running mixed workloads, the Core 5 223PE offers the broader advantage. It wins both Cinebench multi-core and single-core tests across all three versions, and it takes PassMark multi-thread, integer math, data compression, extended instructions, and random string sorting. The Ultra 5 338H is competitive in narrow scenarios, but its wins are concentrated in a smaller set of specialized operations.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design families. The Core 5 223PE uses the Bartlett Lake codename and belongs to the Core 5 generation, while the Ultra 5 338H is built on the Panther Lake architecture and carries the Panther Lake codename, part of the Core Ultra Series 3. The process nodes differ substantially: the Core 5 223PE uses a 10 nm process, and the Ultra 5 338H uses a 3 nm process. Both are manufactured by Intel.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The Core 5 223PE has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Ultra 5 338H has 12 cores and 12 threads. The Ultra 5 338H has more physical cores but no hyper-threading, which explains why its thread count is equal to its core count. The Core 5 223PE uses simultaneous multi-threading to reach 16 threads from 8 cores.

Cache layouts also diverge. The Core 5 223PE provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 2 MB of L2 per core, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 338H has 192 KB of L1 per core and 2.5 MB of L2 per core, with 18 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 5 338H has more per-core cache at the L1 and L2 levels, while the Core 5 223PE has a larger shared L3 pool.

Memory support differs by platform. The Core 5 223PE supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and it supports ECC memory. The Ultra 5 338H supports LPDDR5X over a dual-channel bus with 136.5 GB/s of bandwidth, and it does not support ECC memory. The mobile chip has substantially higher memory bandwidth despite its lower overall performance.

PCIe connectivity is another differentiator. The Core 5 223PE provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Ultra 5 338H provides Gen 5 with 4 lanes from the CPU. Integrated graphics differ as well: the Core 5 223PE uses UHD Graphics 730, and the Ultra 5 338H uses Arc B370.

Specification Differences

The Core 5 223PE and Ultra 5 338H differ across several key specifications. The Core 5 223PE has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, while the Ultra 5 338H runs at 1.90 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost. The desktop part operates at a 65 W TDP, and the mobile part at 25 W TDP. The Core 5 223PE uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 5 338H uses Intel BGA 2540.

The Core 5 223PE targets the desktop market segment, and the Ultra 5 338H targets mobile. Release dates are close: the Ultra 5 338H launched on 2026-01-04, and the Core 5 223PE on 2026-03-08. The Core 5 223PE has a launch MSRP of $232, while the Ultra 5 338H has no recorded launch MSRP. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. Part numbers differ, with the Core 5 223PE listed as SA4QF and the Ultra 5 338H as SA4REQ9EW. Both are marked as Active in production status.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has 12 cores, while the Intel Core 5 223PE has 8 cores.

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 223PE has 16 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has 12 threads.

Q: How large is the single-core performance gap in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core 5 223PE scores 3734, which is 82.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H's 2044.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins 4 of the 17 head-to-head tests: data encryption, find prime numbers, floating point math, and physics.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The Intel Core 5 223PE supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H supports LPDDR5X.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core 5 223PE supports ECC memory. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H does not.