Intel Core i5-14400 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the Intel Core i5-14400 and the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is decisively lopsided. Out of 17 recorded head-to-head tests, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus wins 16, while the Core i5-14400 claims only a single victory. The magnitude of the Ultra 7's advantage varies widely by workload, from modest single-thread gains to massive multi-thread leads.

The single win for the Core i5-14400 comes in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 3009 against the Ultra 7's 2439, a 23.4% advantage. This is the only test where the older Raptor Lake part finishes ahead. In every other recorded benchmark, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus leads, often by substantial margins.

Starting with the multi-thread rendering workloads, the gap is enormous. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ultra 7 scores 6656 versus 2148 for the i5-14400, a 67.7% difference. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows a similar pattern: 24461 against 8952, a 63.4% deficit for the i5. Cinebench R23 multi-core narrows the relative gap slightly but still leaves the i5-14400 51.8% behind, with scores of 44253 and 21315 respectively.

The single-core Cinebench results tell a more nuanced story. While the i5-14400 wins R23 single-core, the Ultra 7 wins R15 single-core by 14.4% (354 versus 303) and R20 single-core by 63.4% (3453 versus 1263). The R20 single-core result is particularly striking, as it shows the Ultra 7 delivering more than double the score of the i5 in that specific test.

PassMark workloads reinforce the Ultra 7's dominance. In data compression, the Ultra 7 scores 804322 versus 314995, a 60.8% lead. Data encryption shows an even larger gap: 59097 against 16731, a 71.7% deficit for the i5. Extended instructions testing shows the Ultra 7 at 63506 versus 19816, a 68.8% difference. The prime number finding test is the most extreme: the Ultra 7 scores 615 while the i5 manages only 80, a 87% gap. Floating point math shows the Ultra 7 at 229491 against 61549, a 73.2% difference. Integer math is comparatively closer: 175986 versus 82017, a 53.4% gap. The multithread PassMark score shows the Ultra 7 at 68574 versus 25080, a 63.4% deficit. Physics testing shows 4064 against 1396, a 65.6% difference. Random string sorting shows 96945 versus 32346, a 66.6% gap.

The single-thread PassMark results are the closest overall category. The Ultra 7 scores 5068 in both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread, against 3741 for the i5-14400 in both, a 26.2% lead. This is the narrowest margin in the entire comparison after the i5's R23 single-core win, suggesting that the Ultra 7's per-core efficiency advantage is real but not overwhelming in every single-threaded scenario.

The overall average benchmark score confirms the hierarchy. The i5-14400 averages 32115 across all recorded benchmarks, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. The Ultra 7 270K Plus averages 93785, placing it in the 96th percentile. That is roughly three times the average score, a difference that reflects the Ultra 7's consistent superiority across nearly every measured workload.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the superior processor in almost every measurable way. Its 96th percentile ranking versus the i5-14400's 82nd percentile places them in different performance tiers entirely. The Ultra 7's nearest rivals in the database are server-class parts: the Intel Xeon 6520P (matching its average score), the AMD EPYC 4564P (1.5% higher), the AMD EPYC 9175F (1.9% higher), and the AMD EPYC 4565P (2.1% higher). That is the company the Ultra 7 keeps. The i5-14400, by contrast, sits alongside mobile and older desktop parts: the Intel Core i7-12800H, the Intel Core i7-13705H, the Intel Core i5-14450HX, and the Intel Core i9-11900, all within 0.3% of its average score.

For multi-threaded workloads, the choice is unambiguous. The Ultra 7 delivers roughly 2 to 3 times the performance of the i5-14400 depending on the specific test, with leads ranging from 51.8% in Cinebench R23 multi-core to 87% in PassMark prime number finding. Any workload that scales across cores, such as rendering, compression, encryption, or physics simulation, will see dramatic improvements with the Ultra 7.

For single-threaded tasks, the picture is more mixed. The i5-14400 wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 23.4%, but the Ultra 7 wins PassMark single-thread by 26.2% and Cinebench R20 single-core by 63.4%. The Ultra 7 also wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 14.4%. The single-thread advantage is not uniform, but the Ultra 7 wins more of those tests and by larger margins in the aggregate.

The i5-14400 is a capable 10-core, 16-thread processor with a 65 W TDP and DDR4 and DDR5 memory support. It serves a lower-power, more flexible platform. But the benchmark data does not support choosing it for performance reasons. Its single win in Cinebench R23 single-core is an outlier against an otherwise consistent sweep. For any user prioritizing raw compute throughput, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the clear choice based on recorded results.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93785, while the Intel Core i5-14400 has an average score of 32115.

Q: In which benchmark does the Intel Core i5-14400 outperform the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus?

A: The i5-14400 wins Cinebench R23 single-core with a score of 3009 against 2439 for the Ultra 7, a 23.4% advantage.

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

A: The largest gap is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Ultra 7 scores 615 versus 80 for the i5-14400, an 87% difference.

Q: How do the two processors rank among all CPUs?

A: The Core i5-14400 is in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, while the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is in the 96th percentile.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, compared to 4.70 GHz for the Core i5-14400.

Q: Does the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus support DDR4 memory?

A: No, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus supports DDR5 only, while the Core i5-14400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every core specification. The Intel Core i5-14400 has 10 cores and 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has 24 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks differ as well: the i5-14400 runs at 2.50 GHz, the Ultra 7 at 3.70 GHz. Boost clocks are 4.70 GHz for the i5 and 5.50 GHz for the Ultra 7. The TDP is 65 W for the i5-14400 and 125 W for the Ultra 7.

The sockets are incompatible. The i5-14400 uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 7 uses Intel Socket 1851. The i5-14400 does not have an unlocked multiplier, while the Ultra 7 does. The i5-14400 has a launch MSRP of $221, while the Ultra 7 has a launch MSRP of $299. The integrated graphics differ: the i5-14400 uses UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 7 uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU.

Memory support differs in scope. The i5-14400 supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 7 supports DDR5 only. Both use dual-channel memory buses. The Ultra 7 has a recorded memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s; no such figure is recorded for the i5-14400. Both support ECC memory. PCIe lanes differ: the i5-14400 provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Ultra 7 provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only).

The cache hierarchy is substantially different. The i5-14400 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 7 has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The die size also differs: 215 mm² for the i5-14400 versus 243 mm² for the Ultra 7. The i5-14400 has no recorded transistor count, while the Ultra 7 has 17,800 million transistors.

Architecture Differences

The Core i5-14400 is built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, under the Core 14th Gen series. Its codename is Raptor Lake-R. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2, with the codename Arrow Lake Refresh, and is listed under the Ultra 7 (Arrow Lake) generation. These are fundamentally different designs from different process nodes.

The manufacturing process differs significantly. The i5-14400 is fabricated on a 10 nm node at Intel's own foundry. The Ultra 7 270K Plus is fabricated on a 3 nm node at TSMC. This process difference helps explain the Ultra 7's higher transistor density and its ability to pack 24 cores into a die that is only modestly larger than the 10-core i5.

The core counts reflect different design philosophies. The i5-14400 uses a hybrid configuration with 10 cores and 16 threads, implying some cores without hyperthreading or a mix of performance and efficiency cores. The Ultra 7 uses 24 cores with 24 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading at all. Despite having no hyperthreading, the Ultra 7's higher core count and higher clocks allow it to dominate multi-threaded workloads.

The integrated graphics architectures also differ. The i5-14400 uses Intel's UHD Graphics 730, part of the Raptor Lake generation. The Ultra 7 uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU, a more modern graphics design from Intel's Arc family. The Ultra 7 also features a larger L3 cache at 36 MB shared, compared to 20 MB shared for the i5, and larger per-core L1 and L2 caches.

The release dates are far apart. The i5-14400 was released on 2024-01-07, while the Ultra 7 270K Plus is dated 2026-03-10. The production status for both is Active. The Ultra 7's newer process node, newer architecture family, and higher core count collectively explain its benchmark dominance, while the i5-14400's single-core Cinebench R23 win suggests that Raptor Lake's per-core tuning still holds an edge in one specific scenario.