Intel Core 7 250H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison
Intel Core 7 250H
Core Ultra 5 225T
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Core 7 250H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T
Architecture Differences
The Intel Core 7 250H and Intel Core Ultra 5 225T represent two distinct design philosophies from Intel. The Core 7 250H uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-H refresh, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It is a mobile part with 14 cores and 20 threads, featuring a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The Core Ultra 5 225T, by contrast, belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture (Arrow Lake-S) using TSMC's 3 nm process. It has 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz.
The Core 7 250H packs a large transistor count advantage in terms of core count, but the Core Ultra 5 225T fields a more modern process node. The Core Ultra 5 225T also lists 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die, while the Core 7 250H has no transistor or die size data recorded. The Core Ultra 5 225T uses a desktop socket, Intel Socket 1851, and carries a 65 W TDP, while the Core 7 250H uses Intel BGA 1744 and a 45 W TDP. The mobile part is unlocked in the sense of its multiplier being locked, and the desktop part is also multiplier-locked.
Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The Core 7 250H has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The Core Ultra 5 225T has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. The Core Ultra 5 225T supports DDR5 memory only, with a dual-channel bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The Core 7 250H supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, with no bandwidth figure recorded.
PCIe connectivity favors the desktop chip. The Core 7 250H provides Gen 5 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while the Core Ultra 5 225T provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ as well: the Core 7 250H uses Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units, while the Core Ultra 5 225T uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 execution units. The Core 7 250H was released on 2024-12-17, and the Core Ultra 5 225T on 2024-12-31. The Core 7 250H has a launch MSRP of $502; no launch MSRP is recorded for the Core Ultra 5 225T.
The Verdict
The benchmark data splits the two processors along architectural lines. The Core 7 250H wins 7 of the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the Core Ultra 5 225T wins 10. The overall average benchmark score favors the Core 7 250H at 35,728 versus 30,468 for the Core Ultra 5 225T, and the Core 7 250H sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs compared to 82nd for the Core Ultra 5 225T.
The Core 7 250H's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 with an average score of 35,719 and a 0% delta, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H at 35,670 with a +0.2% delta, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 at 35,802 with a -0.2% delta, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at 35,909 with a -0.5% delta. This places the Core 7 250H in a tight cluster: effectively tied with the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, marginally ahead of the Core Ultra 9 185H, and marginally behind the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and Ryzen 7 7700X.
The Core Ultra 5 225T's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-11980HK at 30,422 with a +0.2% delta, the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS at 30,390 with a +0.3% delta, the Intel Core i5-13600H at 30,548 with a -0.3% delta, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U at 30,364 with a +0.3% delta. The Core Ultra 5 225T is effectively tied with all of these, within a narrow band. The data indicates the Core 7 250H belongs to a faster overall performance class, while the Core Ultra 5 225T competes with older high-end mobile and mid-range desktop parts.
Where Each One Wins
The Core 7 250H dominates in multi-threaded throughput in several Cinebench tests but loses decisively in others. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Core Ultra 5 225T wins with a 24.6% lead, scoring 21,971 versus 16,561. That is a major reversal. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Core 7 250H wins by 42.1%, scoring 3,147 versus 2,214. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Core 7 250H wins by 5.1%, scoring 9,697 versus 9,227.
Single-core results are more consistent. The Core Ultra 5 225T wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 4.5% (312 vs 298) and Cinebench R23 single-core by 37.7% (3,101 vs 1,931). The Core 7 250H wins Cinebench R20 single-core by 5.1% (1,368 vs 1,302). The PassMark single-thread tests go to the Core Ultra 5 225T by 4.6% (4,348 vs 4,148).
PassMark math tests show a split. The Core 7 250H wins integer math by 66.4% (99,100 vs 59,543), while the Core Ultra 5 225T wins floating-point math by 21.3% (82,751 vs 65,094) and prime numbers by 62.7% (284 vs 106). The Core 7 250H wins random string sorting by 18.6% (34,136 vs 28,774), data compression by 29.6% (303,269 vs 233,998), and multithread by 6.6% (27,030 vs 25,358). The Core Ultra 5 225T wins extended instructions by 13.8% (20,083 vs 17,318), physics by 11.2% (2,053 vs 1,824), and data encryption by 0.5% (18,289 vs 18,206).
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The largest win for the Core 7 250H is in PassMark integer math, where it scores 99,100 against 59,543, a 66.4% advantage. That is the single biggest delta in the dataset. The second-largest win for the Core 7 250H is Cinebench R15 multi-core, at 42.1% (3,147 vs 2,214). Data compression also favors the Core 7 250H by 29.6% (303,269 vs 233,998), and random string sorting by 18.6% (34,136 vs 28,774). The multithread PassMark result is closer, 6.6% (27,030 vs 25,358), and Cinebench R20 multi-core is nearly even at 5.1% (9,697 vs 9,227).
The Core Ultra 5 225T answers with a 62.7% win in find prime numbers (284 vs 106), a 37.7% win in Cinebench R23 single-core (3,101 vs 1,931), and a 24.6% win in Cinebench R23 multi-core (21,971 vs 16,561). Floating-point math goes to the Core Ultra 5 225T by 21.3% (82,751 vs 65,094), extended instructions by 13.8% (20,083 vs 17,318), and physics by 11.2% (2,053 vs 1,824). The single-thread PassMark result is a 4.6% win (4,348 vs 4,148), Cinebench R15 single-core is a 4.5% win (312 vs 298), and data encryption is a narrow 0.5% win (18,289 vs 18,206).
The Cinebench R23 results are particularly notable because they contradict the R15 and R20 multi-core pattern. The Core 7 250H wins two of the three multi-core Cinebench tests, but the Core Ultra 5 225T wins the newest and most demanding one by a large margin. That suggests the Arrow Lake architecture scales better under the R23 workload, even with fewer cores and threads. The Core 7 250H relies on 14 cores and 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225T has only 10 cores and 10 threads, yet still beats it in R23.
The Core 7 250H's 42.1% Cinebench R15 multi-core win is its strongest Cinebench result, but the Core Ultra 5 225T's R23 wins show a more modern design that handles sustained multi-core loads differently. The Core 7 250H also leads in the aggregate PassMark multithread score, but only by 6.6%, a much smaller margin than its integer math lead.
FAQ
Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?
A: The Intel Core 7 250H has 14 cores and 20 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 10 cores and 10 threads.
Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?
A: The Intel Core 7 250H boosts to 5.40 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T boosts to 4.90 GHz. Both have a base clock of 2.50 GHz.
Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?
A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins 10 of the 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, while the Intel Core 7 250H wins 7.
Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?
A: The Intel Core 7 250H has an average benchmark score of 35,728, compared to 30,468 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T. The Core 7 250H also ranks at the 85th percentile versus all CPUs, while the Core Ultra 5 225T ranks at the 82nd.
Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T?
A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The Intel Core 7 250H supports both DDR4 and DDR5 but has no bandwidth figure recorded.
Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?
A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 21,971, a 24.6% lead over the Intel Core 7 250H's 16,561. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Core 7 250H wins by 42.1% with 3,147 versus 2,214.