Intel Core 9 273PTE vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus Comparison

The Intel Core 9 273PTE and Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus occupy very different positions in the current desktop market. The 273PTE is a 12-core, 24-thread Bartlett Lake part on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, while the 250KF Plus is an 18-core, 18-thread Arrow Lake Refresh chip on Intel Socket 1851. The benchmark data shows a decisive performance gap between them: the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus wins all 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons, with an average benchmark score of 66159 against 31143 for the Core 9 273PTE. The 250KF Plus also sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, compared to the 82nd percentile for the 273PTE.

Where Each One Wins

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus wins every single benchmark in the comparison set. There are zero recorded wins for the Intel Core 9 273PTE. The closest margin comes in PassMark integer math, where the 250KF Plus scores 123030 against 82411 for the 273PTE, a delta of -33%. Even the narrowest single-core gap is substantial: the 250KF Plus delivers 4698 in PassMark single-thread, while the 273PTE manages 3433, a -26.9% difference.

The largest gaps appear in compute-heavy and cryptographic workloads. The 250KF Plus leads by -68.6% in PassMark find prime numbers (452 vs 142), -65.5% in data encryption (41292 vs 14253), and -62.8% in extended instructions (42880 vs 15952). These are not marginal differences; they indicate a fundamentally higher performance ceiling in the newer part.

The 273PTE does have a structural advantage in thread count. Its 24 threads exceed the 18 threads of the 250KF Plus, yet the benchmark results show that thread count alone does not compensate for the other architectural differences. The 250KF Plus wins the Cinebench R23 multi-core test with 42718 points, more than double the 20445 points of the 273PTE, despite having fewer threads. The 273PTE also offers integrated UHD Graphics 730, whereas the 250KF Plus has no integrated graphics, but that does not affect the compute benchmarks recorded here.

The Verdict

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus is the clear choice for any workload represented in the database. Its average benchmark score of 66159 places it alongside the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which scores 65914 with a delta of 0.4%, and ahead of the Intel Core 9 273PQE at 66099. The 250KF Plus trails the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus by -1% (66855) and the AMD EPYC 4465P by -1.1% (66925), but those are minor gaps compared to the 273PTE.

The 273PTE sits in a much lower performance tier. Its average score of 31143 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-12700F (31081, 0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS (31074, 0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-13700TE (31028, 0.4%). It is 0.5% below the Intel Core i7-12650HX (31290). In practice, the 273PTE competes with mid-range parts from a previous generation, not with the 250KF Plus.

The 250KF Plus is also the more modern platform. It uses the 3 nm process from TSMC, has an unlocked multiplier, and supports DDR5 memory with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth. The 273PTE uses Intel's 10 nm process, has a locked multiplier, supports both DDR4 and DDR5, and offers 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The 250KF Plus has a higher TDP of 125 watts versus 45 watts for the 273PTE, which reflects its much higher performance envelope.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows the most one-sided results. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 250KF Plus scores 4305 against 2060 for the 273PTE, a -52.1% difference. Single-core in R15 shows 607 vs 290, a -52.2% gap. The pattern repeats in R20 and R23 with the same -52.1% delta in both multi-core and single-core tests. The 250KF Plus records 17941 in R20 multi-core versus 8586, and 42718 in R23 multi-core versus 20445. Single-core R20 is 2532 vs 1212, and R23 single-core is 6030 vs 2886.

PassMark results tell a slightly different story depending on the workload. The smallest gap is in single-thread performance: 4698 vs 3433, a -26.9% difference. Integer math is next at -33% (123030 vs 82411). Physics shows a -39.8% gap (3183 vs 1917). Multi-thread is -52% (50146 vs 24054). Data compression is -53.2% (553155 vs 258704). Random string sorting is -56.9% (67209 vs 28973).

The most extreme deltas come from specialized workloads. Floating point math shows a -62% difference (159824 vs 60673). Extended instructions are -62.8% (42880 vs 15952). Data encryption is -65.5% (41292 vs 14253). Find prime numbers is the largest gap at -68.6% (452 vs 142). These results indicate that the 250KF Plus is not just faster in general throughput, it is disproportionately faster in encryption, vectorized instructions, and prime number calculations.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 18 cores, while the Intel Core 9 273PTE has 12 cores.

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PTE has 24 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 18 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PTE has a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus boosts to 5.30 GHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PTE has 36 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 30 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PTE supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus supports DDR5 only.

Q: Which processor has an unlocked multiplier?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel Core 9 273PTE does not.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different foundries and process nodes. The Intel Core 9 273PTE is built on Intel's 10 nm process, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus uses TSMC's 3 nm process. The 250KF Plus has a transistor count of 17,800 million and a die size of 243 mm², while the 273PTE does not have recorded transistor or die size data.

The core configurations differ in fundamental ways. The 273PTE uses 12 cores with 24 threads, indicating Hyper-Threading support, while the 250KF Plus uses 18 cores with 18 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. The 250KF Plus has larger per-core caches: 192 KB of L1 per core versus 80 KB, and 3 MB of L2 per core versus 2 MB. The 273PTE compensates with a larger shared L3 cache of 36 MB versus 30 MB for the 250KF Plus.

Memory support also diverges. The 273PTE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The 250KF Plus supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, but with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. PCIe capabilities differ as well: the 273PTE provides Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, while the 250KF Plus provides Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes.

The 273PTE includes integrated graphics, specifically UHD Graphics 730, while the 250KF Plus has no integrated graphics. The codename and generation also differ: the 273PTE is Bartlett Lake in the Core 9 (Bartlett Lake) generation, while the 250KF Plus is Arrow Lake Refresh in the Ultra 5 (Arrow Lake) generation.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every recorded specification. The Intel Core 9 273PTE has 12 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 1.40 GHz, a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, a TDP of 45 watts, and uses Intel Socket 1700. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads, a base clock of 4.20 GHz, a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, a TDP of 125 watts, and uses Intel Socket 1851.

The 273PTE is a locked processor with a launch MSRP of $549, while the 250KF Plus is an unlocked processor with a launch MSRP of $184. The 250KF Plus has a much higher base clock of 4.20 GHz versus 1.40 GHz for the 273PTE, although the 273PTE has a slightly higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz versus 5.30 GHz.

Process node differences are significant: the 273PTE uses 10 nm from Intel, while the 250KF Plus uses 3 nm from TSMC. The 250KF Plus has 17,800 million transistors and a 243 mm² die size, while the 273PTE has no recorded values for either. Cache allocations favor different parts: the 273PTE has 80 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 per core with 36 MB shared L3, while the 250KF Plus has 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core with 30 MB shared L3.

Memory bandwidth favors the 250KF Plus at 115.2 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s. The 273PTE supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the 250KF Plus is DDR5-only. PCIe lane counts favor the 250KF Plus at 20 Gen 5 lanes versus 16 for the 273PTE. The 273PTE has integrated UHD Graphics 730, while the 250KF Plus has none. Release dates are two days apart: the 273PTE launched on 2026-03-08, and the 250KF Plus on 2026-03-10. Both are Active in production status and target the Desktop market segment. Part numbers are SA4QJ for the 273PTE and SA4V3 for the 250KF Plus.