Intel Core i5-13500 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225H Comparison

The Intel Core i5-13500 and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H represent two distinct approaches to x86 processing, separated by two years of architectural evolution and designed for entirely different market segments. The i5-13500 is a desktop part built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, while the Core Ultra 5 225H is a mobile processor from the Arrow Lake-H family. Benchmark data shows they are remarkably close in overall average score—31,510 for the i5-13500 versus 31,508 for the Core Ultra 5 225H—resulting in a 0% deltaPct. This near-parity in aggregate performance, however, masks significant differences in how each chip achieves its results, with the desktop part winning 11 head-to-head tests and the mobile part winning 8.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500 has an average benchmark score of 31,510, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H's score of 31,508. The deltaPct between them is 0%, placing both in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare between the two chips?

A: Both processors feature 14 cores. The Intel Core i5-13500 has 20 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has 14 threads, meaning the desktop chip supports 6 additional threads simultaneously.

Q: Which processor demonstrates a stronger single-thread performance advantage?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H leads in single-threaded tests, achieving a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,969 compared to the i5-13500's 1,780, a 9.6% advantage. It also wins in PassMark single-thread testing with 4,258 against 3,865, a 9.2% lead.

Q: What is the most significant performance margin in favor of the Intel Core i5-13500?

A: The largest win for the desktop processor is in PassMark integer math, where it scores 108,320 versus the Core Ultra 5 225H's 68,520, representing a 58.1% advantage. It also leads by a substantial 38% margin in PassMark data compression.

Q: Are these processors from the same manufacturing process and foundry?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-13500 uses a 10 nm process node from Intel's own foundry, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is manufactured on a 3 nm node by TSMC.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500 supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H does not. The desktop chip also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, whereas the mobile chip supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Core i5-13500 is based on Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-S die, and belongs to the Core 13th Gen series. It uses a hybrid design with 14 cores and 20 threads, meaning it includes performance and efficiency cores. The Core Ultra 5 225H, by contrast, is from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with the Arrow Lake-H codename.

The manufacturing process marks a major generational shift. The i5-13500 uses Intel's 10 nm process, while the Core Ultra 5 225H uses a 3 nm process from TSMC. This process difference contributes to the mobile chip's much lower thermal design power of 28 watts, compared to 65 watts for the desktop part. The cache hierarchies also differ substantially: the i5-13500 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a 24 MB shared L3 cache. The Core Ultra 5 225H has much larger per-core caches—192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2—but a smaller 18 MB shared L3 cache.

The memory controller is another point of divergence. The desktop chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode, while the mobile chip supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, with a specified memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The i5-13500 also offers more PCIe connectivity with Gen 5, 16 lanes from the CPU, whereas the Core Ultra 5 225H provides Gen 5, 8 lanes. Integrated graphics differ as well, with the i5-13500 featuring UHD Graphics 770 and the Core Ultra 5 225H featuring Arc Graphics 130T.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-13500 is the clear winner in heavily multi-threaded integer workloads and broader productivity tasks. Its 20 threads give it a structural advantage in tests that scale with thread count. The data shows it leads by 58.1% in PassMark integer math, 38% in data compression, and 27.1% in random string sorting. It also wins the Geekbench multicore test by a 22.5% margin, scoring 14,116 against 11,526, and the PassMark multithread test by 11.3%, with scores of 31,285 and 28,119.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H, despite having fewer threads, demonstrates superiority in specific single-threaded and floating-point workloads. It wins the Cinebench R23 single-core test by 9.6%, the Cinebench R15 single-core test by 11.3%, and the PassMark single-thread test by 9.2%. It also excels in prime number finding, where it scores 220 against the i5-13500's 102, a 53.6% advantage, and in PassMark floating-point math, leading 86,540 to 80,198, a 7.3% margin. The mobile chip also wins the PassMark physics test with a 12.4% lead.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal two processors with identical core counts but different characteristics across nearly every other parameter. The Intel Core i5-13500 has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has a lower base clock of 1.70 GHz but a slightly higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The desktop chip has a 65-watt TDP and uses the Intel Socket 1700, whereas the mobile chip has a 28-watt TDP and uses the Intel BGA 2049 socket.

Memory support differs, with the i5-13500 supporting DDR4 and DDR5, and the Core Ultra 5 225H supporting DDR5 and LPDDR5X. The desktop chip provides 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU, while the mobile chip provides 8. ECC memory support is present on the i5-13500 but absent on the Core Ultra 5 225H. The integrated graphics are different models, and the L3 cache is 24 MB on the desktop part versus 18 MB on the mobile part. The i5-13500 has a launch MSRP of $242, was released on January 3, 2023, and has a die size of 215 mm². The Core Ultra 5 225H has no listed launch MSRP, was released on January 12, 2025, and has no listed die size.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite presents a mixed picture. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-13500 wins narrowly with 2,405 against 2,397.5, a 0.3% margin. The Core Ultra 5 225H takes Cinebench R15 single-core with 288.5 versus 256, an 11.3% lead. In Cinebench R20, the desktop chip wins both tests: multicore 10,990 to 10,041 (9.5%) and single-core 1,551 to 1,417 (9.5%). The results flip in Cinebench R23, where the mobile chip wins multicore 14,629.5 to 14,573 (0.4%) and single-core 1,969 to 1,780 (9.6%).

Geekbench results favor the desktop processor. The i5-13500 wins multicore with 14,116 versus 11,526, a 22.5% advantage, and edges out the single-core test 2,188 to 2,151, a 1.7% lead. The PassMark suite shows the most dramatic divergence. The desktop chip dominates data compression 391,249 to 283,451 (38%), integer math 108,320 to 68,520 (58.1%), multithread 31,285 to 28,119 (11.3%), random string sorting 42,759 to 33,654 (27.1%), data encryption 22,333 to 21,428 (4.2%), and extended instructions 23,956 to 21,915 (9.3%). The mobile chip wins floating-point math 86,540 to 80,198 (7.3%), physics 1,877 to 1,645 (12.4%), find prime numbers 220 to 102 (53.6%), and both single-thread tests with 4,258 versus 3,865 (9.2%).

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates a fundamental split in workload suitability. The Intel Core i5-13500 is the superior processor for integer-heavy, multi-threaded workloads such as data compression, encryption, and general productivity tasks that leverage its 20 threads. Its 58.1% lead in integer math and 38% lead in data compression are decisive. The Geekbench multicore result, showing a 22.5% advantage, reinforces this pattern.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is the better choice for single-threaded responsiveness and floating-point calculations. Its wins in Cinebench R23 single-core (9.6%), PassMark single-thread (9.2%), and floating-point math (7.3%) demonstrate that its newer architecture, despite running at a lower base clock, delivers higher per-core instruction throughput. The 53.6% advantage in prime number finding suggests the mobile chip's architecture handles certain algorithmic workloads with significantly greater efficiency.

Given the 0% deltaPct in average benchmark scores, the decision hinges on specific use cases. The desktop i5-13500, with its ECC memory support, DDR4 compatibility, and 65-watt TDP, is suited for workstations and productivity builds where multi-threaded integer performance and memory flexibility are priorities. The mobile Core Ultra 5 225H, with its 28-watt TDP, 3 nm process node, and LPDDR5X memory support, is designed for laptops where power efficiency and single-threaded performance in a constrained thermal envelope are paramount. The data shows that neither chip is universally faster; they are optimized for different environments and workloads.