Intel Core i5-13500H vs Intel Core Ultra 9 288V Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data splits sharply along single-thread versus multi-thread lines. The Intel Core Ultra 9 288V wins 8 of 17 recorded comparisons, while the Intel Core i5-13500H wins 9, but the margins tell a more nuanced story than the scoreboard suggests.

The Ultra 9 288V dominates in single-threaded and lightly threaded workloads. Its most decisive victory comes in PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 195 against 74 for the i5-13500H, a 163.5% advantage. That is the largest delta in the entire comparison. PassMark single-thread shows the same theme, with the Ultra 9 scoring 4274 versus 3397, a 25.8% lead. Cinebench R15 single-core confirms the pattern: 301.5 versus 249, a 21.1% gap. The Ultra 9 also wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 9.9% (1950 versus 1775) and PassMark extended instructions by 5% (15613 versus 14872). Floating-point math favors the Ultra 9 as well, 59536 versus 52123, a 14.2% edge. PassMark physics is another win for the Ultra 9, 1637 versus 1289, a 27% margin.

The i5-13500H responds with decisive multi-threaded wins, powered by its 12 cores and 16 threads. Cinebench R15 multicore is its largest victory: 2304 versus 1583, a 31.3% lead. Cinebench R23 multicore follows at 14081 versus 10178, a 27.7% advantage. PassMark integer math shows a 39.5% gap in favor of the i5 (72724 versus 44019), the second-largest delta overall. Data compression is another strong suit for the i5, 254661 versus 186521, a 26.8% lead. Random string sorting goes to the i5 by 19.1% (27955 versus 22622). PassMark multithread is closer, 21366 versus 19810, a 7.3% edge. The i5 also wins Cinebench R20 multicore by 5.3% (7464 versus 7069) and data encryption by 5.3% (14938 versus 14141).

Three tests are near ties. Cinebench R20 single-core goes to the i5 by 5.3% (1053 versus 997), which is unusual given the Ultra 9's other single-thread wins. Data encryption is also a narrow i5 victory at 5.3%. The overall average benchmark scores reflect this split: the Ultra 9 sits at 23219, which is 76th percentile among all CPUs, while the i5-13500H averages 22468, at the 75th percentile. The Ultra 9's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-11900F (delta -0.2%), AMD EPYC 4124P (delta +0.2%), AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (delta -0.2%), and Intel Core Ultra 7 266V (delta -0.3%). The i5-13500H's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1270P (delta -0.2%), Intel Core Ultra 5 135U (delta -0.7%), Intel Core i5-12500H (delta -0.7%), and AMD Ryzen 5 220 (delta +0.8%).

The Verdict

The data points to two different design philosophies. The Intel Core Ultra 9 288V is built for responsiveness and efficiency in single-threaded tasks, while the Intel Core i5-13500H is built for raw throughput in heavily threaded workloads. Neither chip is a universal winner, and the choice depends entirely on which benchmark family matters more.

For users whose workloads are dominated by single-threaded performance, the Ultra 9 288V is the clear pick. Its 25.8% lead in PassMark single-thread and 21.1% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core are substantial. The 163.5% advantage in prime number finding indicates exceptional per-core integer throughput. The 27% win in physics suggests strong per-core floating-point execution. The Ultra 9 also edges ahead in extended instructions by 5%, which may benefit certain SIMD-heavy applications.

For users running multi-threaded workloads, the i5-13500H is the obvious choice. Its 31.3% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore and 27.7% lead in Cinebench R23 multicore are decisive. The 39.5% margin in integer math is the largest single delta in the comparison. Data compression favors the i5 by 26.8%, and random string sorting by 19.1%. Even in PassMark multithread, where the gap narrows to 7.3%, the i5 still comes out ahead.

The overall percentile data shows these are closely matched chips. The Ultra 9's 76th percentile versus the i5's 75th percentile is a one-point difference. The average benchmark scores differ by only 751 points out of roughly 23000, about 3.2%. This is not a lopsided contest, it is a trade-off between two performance profiles.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 9 288V wins in scenarios that reward fast single-thread execution and efficient per-core performance. This includes interactive applications, lightweight scripting, single-threaded compilation steps, and workloads where a single core must carry most of the load. The PassMark physics win (27% ahead) indicates strong performance in physics simulations that are not fully parallelized. The floating-point math win (14.2% ahead) suggests advantages in scientific calculations that rely on scalar or lightly threaded FPU work. The extended instructions win (5% ahead) points to benefits in applications using newer instruction sets. Prime number finding, with its 163.5% advantage, is a niche but clear indicator of per-core integer capability.

The Intel Core i5-13500H wins in scenarios that scale across many cores and threads. This includes video encoding, 3D rendering, batch data processing, and compilation of large codebases. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14081 versus 10178 is a 38.3% raw difference, which translates to meaningfully faster render times. Data compression at 254661 versus 186521 is a 36.5% raw advantage, relevant for archiving and database workloads. Integer math at 72724 versus 44019 is a 65.2% raw advantage, which matters for general-purpose computing tasks like cryptography or financial modeling. Random string sorting at 27955 versus 22622 is a 23.6% raw advantage, relevant for data manipulation and sorting algorithms.

The i5 also wins the Cinebench R20 single-core test by 5.3%, which is a notable outlier. This suggests that under certain Cinebench versions, the i5's single-thread performance is closer to the Ultra 9 than other tests indicate. However, the broader single-thread picture still favors the Ultra 9.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 288V scores 1950, which is 9.9% higher than the Intel Core i5-13500H's 1775.

Q: How much faster is the Intel Core i5-13500H in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The i5-13500H scores 14081 versus the Ultra 9 288V's 10178, a 27.7% advantage.

Q: Which chip wins the PassMark multithread test?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500H wins with 21366 versus 19810, a 7.3% lead for the Ultra 9 288V.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V leads by 163.5% (195 versus 74).

Q: Which processor has a higher PassMark single-thread score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 288V scores 4274, which is 25.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-13500H's 3397.

Q: How do the two processors compare in data compression?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500H scores 254661 versus 186521 for the Ultra 9 288V, a 26.8% advantage for the i5.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and use fundamentally different designs. The Intel Core Ultra 9 288V is part of the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Lunar Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node from TSMC. The Intel Core i5-13500H is a Core 13th Gen part using the Raptor Lake architecture on Intel's 10 nm process.

The core counts differ sharply. The Ultra 9 288V has 8 cores and 8 threads, a 1:1 ratio with no hyperthreading. The i5-13500H has 12 cores and 16 threads, which implies a hybrid design with hyperthreading on some cores. This explains the multithreaded benchmark results: the i5 has 50% more cores and 100% more threads than the Ultra 9.

Cache structures also differ. The Ultra 9 288V has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-13500H has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 9 has more per-core cache, which aligns with its single-thread wins. The i5 has more total L3, which helps in multi-threaded workloads with shared data.

Memory support is another differentiator. The Ultra 9 288V supports only LPDDR5X memory with a dual-channel bus and a recorded bandwidth of 136.5 GB/s. The i5-13500H supports a broader range including DDR4, DDR5, LPDDR4, LPDDR4X, LPDDR5, and LPDDR5X, also on a dual-channel bus, but no bandwidth figure is recorded. The Ultra 9's specialized memory support likely contributes to its lower TDP and efficiency. The i5's broader memory compatibility offers more system design flexibility.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Ultra 9 288V features Arc 140V graphics, while the i5-13500H uses Iris Xe Graphics with 80 execution units. The Ultra 9's newer graphics architecture is part of the Lunar Lake platform's focus on integrated performance.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on several key specifications. The Ultra 9 288V has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The i5-13500H has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The Ultra 9 has higher clocks, which explains its single-thread wins, despite having fewer cores.

Thermal design power differs substantially. The Ultra 9 288V is rated at 30 W TDP, while the i5-13500H is rated at 45 W TDP. The Ultra 9 delivers its single-thread performance at a lower power envelope, while the i5 uses more power to feed its additional cores.

Sockets are incompatible. The Ultra 9 288V uses Intel BGA 2833, while the i5-13500H uses Intel BGA 1744. This means system boards are not interchangeable between the two.

PCIe connectivity differs. The Ultra 9 288V supports Gen 5 with 4 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-13500H supports Gen 5 with 8 lanes (CPU only). The i5 has twice the PCIe lane count, which matters for discrete GPU or storage expansion.

The process node and foundry differ: the Ultra 9 uses 3 nm from TSMC, while the i5 uses 10 nm from Intel. The Ultra 9's smaller process node contributes to its lower TDP. The i5's larger node is a factor in its higher power draw.

Release dates differ by about 21 months. The i5-13500H was released on January 3, 2023, while the Ultra 9 288V was released on September 23, 2024. Both are currently marked as Active in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Both processors are mobile segments, neither supports ECC memory, and both have dual-channel memory buses. The Ultra 9's part number is SRPMSSRPMWQ5JTQ5JUQ5KW, while the i5's is SRMLGSRMHY.