Intel Core 7 253PTE vs Intel Core Ultra 5 338H Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two processors into sharply different roles. The Intel Core 7 253PTE wins only three of the seventeen head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but those three wins are decisive in the workloads that matter most for sustained desktop compute. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H wins the remaining fourteen comparisons, establishing itself as the more consistent all-round performer, particularly in short-burst multi-threaded tasks, encryption, and floating-point work.

The Core 7 253PTE takes the Cinebench R23 multithreaded and single-threaded tests, plus the PassMark integer math test. The Cinebench R23 multithreaded result is the single largest margin in the entire comparison, with the Core 7 finishing 30.3% ahead. The single-threaded R23 margin is even larger at 46.9%, which is an outlier relative to every other single-threaded test in the set. The PassMark integer math win is the biggest raw percentage gap anywhere, at 84.1% ahead of the Ultra 5 338H.

The Ultra 5 338H counters across the rest of the Cinebench suite. It wins Cinebench R15 multithreaded by 14.4%, R20 multithreaded by 12.5%, R15 single-threaded by 1%, and R20 single-threaded by 12.5%. Those results suggest that the Ultra 5 is faster in older Cinebench versions, while the Core 7 only overtakes it in the R23 workload. The PassMark suite tells a similar story for the Ultra 5: it wins data compression by 0.3%, data encryption by 27.5%, extended instructions by 28.5%, prime number finding by 73%, floating-point math by 20.1%, multithread by 12.8%, physics by 51.1%, random string sorting by 17.2%, and single-thread by 9.2%.

The pattern is clear. The Core 7 253PTE is a specialist in integer-dense and long-render workloads, while the Ultra 5 338H is the broader performer that wins most measured tasks by modest to large margins. The average benchmark scores reflect this overall balance: the Core 7 sits at 34962, the Ultra 5 at 33989, a difference of roughly 2.8% in favor of the Core 7, despite its losing record in the head-to-head count.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design families with fundamentally different physical layouts. The Core 7 253PTE is a Bartlett Lake part on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, built on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry. It is a desktop-market segment chip with a 45 W TDP. The Ultra 5 338H is a Panther Lake part on Intel BGA 2540, built on a 3 nm process, also at Intel's foundry, and it is a mobile-market segment chip with a 25 W TDP. That 3 nm node gives the Ultra 5 a substantial process advantage, but the Core 7 compensates with a much higher power envelope and a taller thermal ceiling.

The core and thread configurations differ significantly. The Core 7 253PTE has 10 cores and 20 threads, meaning it uses hyper-threading to double thread count. The Ultra 5 338H has 12 cores and 12 threads, so it runs one thread per core with no hyper-threading. Despite having two fewer cores, the Core 7 presents 8 more threads to the operating system, which helps it in heavily parallel workloads that scale with thread count. The base clocks are close: 1.80 GHz for the Core 7 versus 1.90 GHz for the Ultra 5. The boost clocks diverge sharply, with the Core 7 reaching 5.40 GHz versus the Ultra 5's 4.70 GHz, a 0.70 GHz advantage that explains the Core 7's dominance in single-threaded R23.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The Core 7 253PTE has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 5 338H has 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and only 18 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 5 has more per-core L1 and L2, but the Core 7 has nearly double the shared L3 capacity, which benefits large working sets and multi-threaded rendering.

Memory support separates the two further. The Core 7 253PTE supports DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth and ECC memory enabled. The Ultra 5 338H supports only LPDDR5X in dual-channel, but delivers 136.5 GB/s of bandwidth, a 52% higher figure. The Ultra 5 has no ECC support. PCIe connectivity also differs: the Core 7 offers Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Ultra 5 offers Gen 5 with only 4 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics are different as well, with the Core 7 using UHD Graphics 730 and the Ultra 5 using Arc B370. The Core 7 has a launch MSRP of $384, while the Ultra 5 has no recorded launch MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R23 multithreaded test delivers the Core 7 253PTE's best result: 21276 versus 16331, a 30.3% lead. This is the largest Cinebench margin in the entire comparison and shows that the Core 7's 20 threads and 45 W TDP overcome the Ultra 5's newer process node in a long-running render workload. The R23 single-threaded test is even more lopsided in percentage terms: 3003 versus 2044, a 46.9% lead for the Core 7. That result is surprising given that the Ultra 5 wins every other single-threaded test in the set, including R15 single-core by 1% (305 versus 302) and R20 single-core by 12.5% (1441 versus 1261). The R23 single-threaded result is the only case where the Core 7's 5.40 GHz boost clock clearly overwhelms the Ultra 5's architecture.

The PassMark integer math test is the second major Core 7 win: 119552 versus 64934, an 84.1% advantage. This is the single largest delta in the entire benchmark set. Integer math is a classic measure of ALU throughput, and the Core 7's combination of 20 threads, high boost clock, and larger L3 appears to drive a massive advantage here. The Ultra 5 cannot match that throughput despite its 12 physical cores.

The Ultra 5 338H's largest win is the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 304 versus 82, a 73% lead. Prime number finding is sensitive to per-core instruction efficiency and branch handling, and the Ultra 5's Panther Lake architecture with 192 KB L1 per core shows a clear edge. The physics test also favors the Ultra 5 heavily: 2697 versus 1318, a 51.1% lead. Data encryption favors the Ultra 5 by 27.5% (21367 versus 15500), and extended instructions by 28.5% (23906 versus 17099). Floating-point math goes to the Ultra 5 by 20.1% (84067 versus 67209). The multithread PassMark test, which aggregates many parallel operations, goes to the Ultra 5 by 12.8% (28717 versus 25031). Random string sorting favors the Ultra 5 by 17.2% (34082 versus 28227), and single-thread by 9.2% (4180 versus 3794).

Data compression is nearly a tie: 276539 for the Ultra 5 versus 275828 for the Core 7, a 0.3% margin. That is the closest result in the set, indicating both processors handle compression workloads at essentially the same level. The Cinebench R15 and R20 results show the Ultra 5 winning by 14.4% and 12.5% respectively in multithreaded, and by 1% and 12.5% in single-threaded. These older Cinebench versions do not favor the Core 7's architecture in the same way R23 does.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct buyer profiles. The Intel Core 7 253PTE is the choice for integer-heavy desktop workloads and long-form rendering. Its 30.3% lead in Cinebench R23 multithreaded and 84.1% lead in PassMark integer math are not marginal differences; they represent a decisive performance class separation in those specific tasks. Its 20 threads, 33 MB L3, 45 W TDP, and 5.40 GHz boost clock give it a clear advantage in applications that keep all cores busy for extended periods. The desktop socket, DDR4 and DDR5 support, and 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes also make it the more expandable platform for a stationary system.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H wins the majority of measured tests, including every PassMark test except integer math. It leads in data encryption by 27.5%, extended instructions by 28.5%, prime numbers by 73%, floating-point by 20.1%, physics by 51.1%, and single-thread by 9.2%. It also wins Cinebench R15 and R20 by double-digit margins in both single and multi-threaded modes. Its 136.5 GB/s of LPDDR5X memory bandwidth is 52% higher than the Core 7's 89.6 GB/s, which helps memory-sensitive workloads. The 25 W TDP and mobile BGA 2540 socket, paired with the Arc B370 integrated graphics, make it the appropriate choice for a compact or portable system where power efficiency and memory bandwidth matter more than raw thread count.

The average benchmark scores are close, 34962 for the Core 7 versus 33989 for the Ultra 5, and both sit at the 84th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Core 7's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13800H at a 0.1% lower average score and the Intel Core i9-12900HX at 0.1% lower, placing it in established high-end mobile HX territory. The Ultra 5's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H at 0.3% higher and the AMD EPYC 4244P at 0.7% higher, indicating it trades blows with newer mobile and entry server parts. Selection should follow the workload: integer math and R23 rendering point to the Core 7, everything else measured points to the Ultra 5.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has 12 cores but only 12 threads. The Intel Core 7 253PTE has 10 cores and 20 threads, so it presents 8 more threads to the operating system despite having 2 fewer cores.

Q: Why does the Core 7 253PTE win Cinebench R23 multithreaded by such a large margin?

A: The Core 7 253PTE scores 21276 versus 16331 for the Ultra 5 338H, a 30.3% lead. This aligns with its 20 threads, 33 MB shared L3, 45 W TDP, and 5.40 GHz boost clock, which together sustain long render workloads better than the Ultra 5's 12 threads and 18 MB L3.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Ultra 5 338H has 136.5 GB/s of LPDDR5X bandwidth, which is 52% higher than the Core 7 253PTE's 89.6 GB/s DDR4/DDR5 bandwidth. The Ultra 5 also lacks ECC support, while the Core 7 supports ECC memory.

Q: What is the biggest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The PassMark integer math test shows the Core 7 253PTE at 119552 versus 64934 for the Ultra 5 338H, an 84.1% lead. The largest Ultra 5 win is the PassMark find prime numbers test at 304 versus 82, a 73% lead.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Core 7 253PTE has an average benchmark score of 34962, and the Ultra 5 338H has 33989. Both processors sit at the 84th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Q: What are the process nodes and sockets for each processor?

A: The Core 7 253PTE is a 10 nm Bartlett Lake part on Intel Socket 1700 and targets the desktop market. The Ultra 5 338H is a 3 nm Panther Lake part on Intel BGA 2540 and targets the mobile market.