Intel Core 7 250H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus Comparison

The Intel Core 7 250H and the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus occupy different corners of the processor market, and the benchmark data reflects that separation clearly. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins every single recorded benchmark comparison, a decisive sweep of all 17 head-to-head tests. The Core 7 250H, a mobile part with a 45 W power envelope, cannot match the desktop-class Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, which carries a 125 W power envelope and a much higher performance ceiling. The average benchmark score difference is stark: the Core 7 250H averages 35728, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus averages 66855. That is a gap of nearly double the overall score, and it shows up across every category, from Cinebench rendering to PassMark math workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory for the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus comes in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 486 against the Core 7 250H's 106, a delta of 78.2 percent. This is an extreme outlier, but it reflects the broader pattern: the desktop chip handles integer-heavy workloads with far greater efficiency. The PassMark extended instructions test shows a 61.1 percent delta, with the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scoring 44565 versus 17318 for the Core 7 250H. Floating point math follows closely, with a 60 percent delta, as the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus reaches 162692 while the Core 7 250H stops at 65094.

The Cinebench suite tells the same story. In Cinebench R20 multicore, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 18442 against 9697 for the Core 7 250H, a delta of 47.4 percent. The single-core version of that same test shows the identical 47.4 percent delta, with scores of 2603 and 1368 respectively. Cinebench R23 multicore delivers a 46.3 percent delta, with the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at 30867 and the Core 7 250H at 16561. The single-core R23 test is less dramatic but still decisive, a 14.6 percent delta with scores of 2261 and 1931.

The PassMark multithread test shows a 47.6 percent delta, with the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scoring 51596 against 27030. The physics workload follows at 47.8 percent, with scores of 3494 and 1824. Random string sorting shows a 50.6 percent delta, with the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at 69090 and the Core 7 250H at 34136. Data compression shows a 46.7 percent delta, with scores of 568721 and 303269. Data encryption shows a 56.8 percent delta, with scores of 42144 and 18206. Integer math shows a 20.8 percent delta, with scores of 125091 and 99100. The single-thread PassMark test shows a 12.8 percent delta, with scores of 4757 and 4148, the same result as the duplicate singlethread entry.

The smallest margin anywhere is the Cinebench R15 single-core test, where the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 328 against 298, a 9.1 percent delta. Even this narrowest gap favors the desktop chip. The Cinebench R15 multicore test shows a 32.2 percent delta, with scores of 4640 and 3147. Across all 17 tests, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins without exception, and the deltas range from 9.1 percent to 78.2 percent. The data does not show a single workload where the Core 7 250H pulls ahead.

Where Each One Wins

The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins every recorded workload, so the question is not which processor wins a given test, but where the margins are largest and smallest. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus shows its largest advantages in specialized compute tasks. The find prime numbers test, extended instructions, and floating point math all show deltas above 60 percent. These are workloads that scale with raw core count, clock speed, and architectural efficiency, and the desktop chip has all three advantages.

The Core 7 250H comes closest in single-threaded tests. The Cinebench R15 single-core delta is only 9.1 percent, and the PassMark single-thread delta is 12.8 percent. The Cinebench R23 single-core delta is 14.6 percent. These smaller margins suggest that the mobile chip's architecture is competitive in lightly threaded scenarios, even if it cannot match the desktop chip in sustained multi-core work. The integer math test also shows a relatively modest 20.8 percent delta, indicating that the Core 7 250H handles pure integer operations better than it handles floating point or extended instruction workloads.

The Core 7 250H's performance profile makes sense for its market segment. As a mobile processor on the Intel BGA 1744 socket, it is designed for laptops and other portable systems where power draw and heat dissipation are constrained. Its 45 W power envelope is less than half of the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus's 125 W envelope. The Core 7 250H achieves 85th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus sits at 93rd percentile. The mobile chip is not a weak performer in absolute terms, but it is outclassed by the desktop part in every recorded benchmark.

The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, by contrast, is built for desktop systems with ample cooling and power delivery. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 4465P, which scores 66925, and the Intel Xeon 6515P, which scores 67006. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 66855, placing it within 0.1 percent of the EPYC and 0.2 percent of the Xeon. It also edges out the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus, which scores 66159, a 1.1 percent delta in favor of the 250K Plus. The Core 7 250H's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 at 35719, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H at 35670, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 at 35802, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at 35909. The Core 7 250H scores 35728, essentially tied with these parts, with deltas of 0 percent, 0.2 percent, -0.2 percent, and -0.5 percent respectively.

The Verdict

The benchmark data supports a straightforward conclusion: the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the faster processor in every measured category. Any workload that benefits from multi-core performance, single-core speed, floating point math, encryption, compression, or physics simulation will favor the desktop chip. The narrowest margins, in single-threaded tests, still favor the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus by nearly double digits. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the Core 7 250H wins.

The Core 7 250H remains a competitive mobile processor in its own tier. Its average benchmark score of 35728 places it in the 85th percentile, and it trades blows with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. For a mobile part with a 45 W power envelope, that is a strong showing. But against the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, which averages 66855 and sits in the 93rd percentile, the comparison is not close.

The choice between these two processors comes down to the system form factor. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus requires a desktop platform with the Intel Socket 1851 and a 125 W power envelope. The Core 7 250H fits into a mobile platform with the Intel BGA 1744 socket and a 45 W power envelope. The data does not suggest that one is a substitute for the other. It shows a desktop processor that dominates every benchmark and a mobile processor that is merely average for its class.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has an average benchmark score of 66855, while the Intel Core 7 250H has an average benchmark score of 35728.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest gap is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 486 and the Core 7 250H scores 106, a delta of 78.2 percent.

Q: In which test are the two processors closest?

A: The closest test is Cinebench R15 single-core, where the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 328 and the Core 7 250H scores 298, a delta of 9.1 percent.

Q: Does the Core 7 250H win any benchmark?

A: No. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins all 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks.

Q: How do the two processors compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Core 7 250H averages 35728, nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 at 35719, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H at 35670, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 at 35802, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at 35909. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus averages 66855, close to the AMD EPYC 4465P at 66925 and the Intel Xeon 6515P at 67006.

Q: What are the socket requirements for each processor?

A: The Core 7 250H uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses the Intel Socket 1851.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and manufacturing processes. The Core 7 250H is built on Raptor Lake architecture, specifically Raptor Lake-H, and belongs to the Core 7 generation labeled Raptor Lake Refresh. It is manufactured on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2, uses Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, and is manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus also has a listed transistor count of 17,800 million and a die size of 243 mm², while the Core 7 250H has no recorded transistor count or die size.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Core 7 250H 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 250K Plus has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger per-core caches on the desktop chip contribute to its performance advantage, particularly in single-threaded tests.

Memory support also differs. The Core 7 250H supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus supports only DDR5, also in a dual-channel configuration, but it has a recorded memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The Core 7 250H has no recorded memory bandwidth figure. ECC memory support is another differentiator: the Core 7 250H does not support ECC, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus does.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Core 7 250H uses Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. The mobile part has more execution units, while the desktop part uses a different graphics architecture.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are the first major difference. The Core 7 250H has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has more physical cores, but the Core 7 250H has more threads due to Hyper-Threading support. The Core 7 250H's thread count exceeds its core count, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has a one-to-one core-to-thread ratio.

Clock speeds differ in both base and boost values. The Core 7 250H has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The desktop chip starts at a much higher base clock, while the mobile chip has a slightly higher boost clock.

Power envelopes are significantly different. The Core 7 250H has a TDP of 45 W, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has a TDP of 125 W. The desktop chip draws nearly three times the power, which explains its performance advantage and its need for a desktop cooling solution.

The sockets are incompatible. The Core 7 250H uses Intel BGA 1744, a mobile socket, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses Intel Socket 1851, a desktop socket. PCIe support also differs: the Core 7 250H supports PCIe Gen 5 with 8 lanes from the CPU, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has an unlocked multiplier, meaning it supports overclocking, while the Core 7 250H does not. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus also has a later release date, March 10, 2026, compared to the Core 7 250H's release on December 17, 2024. The launch MSRP for the Core 7 250H is $502, and the launch MSRP for the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is $199. The Core 7 250H is listed with part number SRQ6UQ5MK, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is listed with part number SA4UZ.