Intel Core i5-14401E vs Intel Core Ultra 3 105UL Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a complete sweep for the Intel Core i5-14401E across all six Cinebench comparisons. The largest margin appears in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i5-14401E scores 258 against the Core Ultra 3 105UL's 124, a delta of 108.1%. The multi-core R15 result is nearly identical in relative terms: 1830 versus 881, a 107.7% advantage. These are not marginal wins; the i5-14401E roughly doubles the Ultra 3 105UL in every single test.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds. The i5-14401E posts 7627 multi-core and 1076 single-core, while the Ultra 3 105UL manages 3671 and 518 respectively. The deltas are 107.8% and 107.7%. Cinebench R23 repeats the story: 18161 versus 8742 in multi-core (107.7% delta) and 2564 versus 1234 in single-core (107.8% delta). The consistency of these margins, all hovering near 107-108%, suggests a fundamental performance gap rather than workload-specific variation.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce this divide. The i5-14401E carries an average score of 5253, placing it near the Intel Xeon E5-2699A v4 (5259, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-11700B (5241, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core i9-10850K (5240, delta 0.2%), and the Intel Core i5-13400T (5210, delta 0.8%). The Ultra 3 105UL, by contrast, averages 13061, which puts it alongside the Intel Core i5-9400F (13041, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10750H (13024, delta 0.3%), the Intel Core i5-8500 (13142, delta -0.6%), and the Intel Core i7-7700K (13291, delta -1.7%). The Ultra 3 105UL's average is roughly 2.5 times higher than the i5-14401E's, but that is because the Ultra 3 105UL's benchmark set includes additional PassMark tests that the i5-14401E does not have recorded. The head-to-head Cinebench data is the only apples-to-apples comparison, and there the i5-14401E dominates.

The percentile rankings tell a different story overall. The i5-14401E sits at the 60th percentile against all CPUs, while the Ultra 3 105UL reaches the 68th percentile. That higher percentile for the Ultra 3 105UL likely reflects its broader benchmark suite, which includes PassMark integer math, floating-point math, encryption, and compression tests. The i5-14401E has no PassMark records in the database, so its percentile is based solely on Cinebench results. This discrepancy means the two percentiles are not directly comparable, but they do indicate that the Ultra 3 105UL holds its own in a wider range of tasks despite losing every Cinebench contest.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for Cinebench workloads: the Intel Core i5-14401E wins all six recorded comparisons, with deltas between 107.7% and 108.1%. Anyone running rendering or CPU-bound creative tasks that rely on Cinebench-style multi-threaded and single-threaded performance should look at the i5-14401E. Its 6 cores and 12 threads, combined with a 4.70 GHz boost clock, deliver roughly double the performance of the Ultra 3 105UL in these specific tests.

The Ultra 3 105UL is not without merit, but its strengths lie elsewhere. It has 8 cores and 10 threads, a 15 W TDP, and a 4.20 GHz boost clock. The database shows it performs well in PassMark workloads, including data compression (93961), integer math (41171), floating-point math (30750), and multithreaded tasks (10285). These are not Cinebench scores, so direct comparison is impossible, but they suggest the Ultra 3 105UL is a capable processor for general productivity and lighter threaded work. Its 68th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, higher than the i5-14401E's 60th, reinforces this interpretation.

The choice hinges on workload. The i5-14401E is the clear pick for Cinebench-class rendering and single-thread-heavy applications. The Ultra 3 105UL, with its lower TDP and PassMark results, appears better suited for power-constrained systems or tasks that benefit from its specific instruction handling, such as data compression and encryption. The i5-14401E has no recorded PassMark scores, so its performance in those areas is unknown, but the Cinebench data alone justifies its selection for rendering-focused builds.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E scores 18161, while the Intel Core Ultra 3 105UL scores 8742, giving the i5-14401E a 107.7% advantage.

Q: How large is the single-core gap in Cinebench R20?

A: The i5-14401E scores 1076, and the Ultra 3 105UL scores 518, a delta of 107.7% in favor of the i5-14401E.

Q: Does the Ultra 3 105UL win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The recorded head-to-head data shows 6 wins for the i5-14401E and 0 wins for the Ultra 3 105UL across all Cinebench tests.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The i5-14401E averages 5253, and the Ultra 3 105UL averages 13061. However, the Ultra 3 105UL has additional PassMark tests in its set, so the averages are not directly comparable.

Q: How do their percentile rankings compare?

A: The i5-14401E is at the 60th percentile, and the Ultra 3 105UL is at the 68th percentile against all CPUs.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The i5-14401E boosts to 4.70 GHz, while the Ultra 3 105UL boosts to 4.20 GHz.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Ultra 3 105UL has 8 cores and 10 threads. Base clocks are 2.50 GHz for the i5-14401E and 1.50 GHz for the Ultra 3 105UL. Boost clocks are 4.70 GHz and 4.20 GHz respectively. TDP is a major split: 65 W for the i5-14401E versus 15 W for the Ultra 3 105UL.

Socket compatibility differs completely. The i5-14401E uses Intel Socket 1700, and the Ultra 3 105UL uses Intel Socket 1851. Process nodes also differ: the i5-14401E is on a 10 nm node, while the Ultra 3 105UL is on a 7 nm node. The i5-14401E has a die size of 215 mm², while the Ultra 3 105UL has no recorded die size.

Cache configurations are not shared. The i5-14401E has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. The Ultra 3 105UL has 112 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 10 MB shared L3. Memory support diverges: the i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 3 105UL supports DDR5 with capacity depending on the motherboard. The Ultra 3 105UL has a recorded memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while the i5-14401E has no such figure. ECC memory is supported on the i5-14401E but not on the Ultra 3 105UL.

PCIe lanes differ: the i5-14401E provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), and the Ultra 3 105UL provides Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics are different as well: the i5-14401E uses UHD Graphics 730, and the Ultra 3 105UL uses Arc Xe-LPG 48EU. Release dates are close, with the i5-14401E launching on 2024-06-30 and the Ultra 3 105UL on 2024-04-07. The Ultra 3 105UL has a launch MSRP of $295, while the i5-14401E has no recorded launch MSRP. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The i5-14401E belongs to the Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-R codename, and is part of the Core i5 (Raptor Lake Refresh) generation. The Ultra 3 105UL belongs to the Core Ultra Series 1, based on the Meteor Lake architecture with the Meteor Lake-PS codename, and is part of the Ultra 3 (Meteor Lake-PS) generation. Both are manufactured by Intel, but the i5-14401E uses a 10 nm process while the Ultra 3 105UL uses a 7 nm process.

The core layouts imply different design philosophies. The i5-14401E uses 6 cores with 12 threads, suggesting hyperthreading on all cores. The Ultra 3 105UL uses 8 cores with only 10 threads, indicating that some cores do not support hyperthreading, likely a hybrid arrangement of performance and efficiency cores. Cache sizes reflect this: the Ultra 3 105UL has larger per-core L1 and L2 caches (112 KB and 2 MB) but a smaller shared L3 (10 MB versus 20 MB). The i5-14401E's larger L3 suggests a focus on shared data access for multi-threaded workloads.

The integrated graphics differ significantly. The i5-14401E uses UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 3 105UL uses Arc Xe-LPG 48EU, which is a newer GPU architecture. The Ultra 3 105UL's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, a figure not recorded for the i5-14401E, indicates a different memory subsystem. PCIe generation also separates them: Gen 5 on the i5-14401E versus Gen 4 on the Ultra 3 105UL, with the i5-14401E offering twice the lanes (16 versus 8). The 65 W TDP of the i5-14401E versus 15 W for the Ultra 3 105UL points to the latter being designed for far lower power envelopes, possibly for compact or passively cooled systems.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-14401E wins every recorded Cinebench test, including R15, R20, and R23 in both multi-core and single-core modes. These benchmarks stress rendering, physics, and general CPU arithmetic. The i5-14401E's higher boost clock of 4.70 GHz and larger 20 MB L3 cache likely contribute to its dominance. For users running 3D rendering, video encoding, or any workload that scales with Cinebench scores, the i5-14401E is the only choice between these two.

The Ultra 3 105UL has no head-to-head wins, but its PassMark results suggest strengths in specific areas. Data compression scores 93961, data encryption scores 6354, extended instructions score 5634, integer math scores 41171, floating-point math scores 30750, and multithreaded performance scores 10285. The 15 W TDP makes it suitable for low-power builds where thermal output is a priority. The 7 nm process and newer Meteor Lake architecture may also indicate better power efficiency per operation, though the database does not record efficiency metrics. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth could benefit memory-intensive tasks, and the Arc Xe-LPG 48EU integrated graphics may provide stronger iGPU performance than the UHD Graphics 730, though no direct comparison exists in the data.

The percentile rankings offer a final nuance. The Ultra 3 105UL's 68th percentile versus the i5-14401E's 60th suggests that, across a broader set of benchmarks, the Ultra 3 105UL performs relatively better than the i5-14401E does. This is likely due to the PassMark suite's inclusion of diverse workloads like encryption and compression, where the Ultra 3 105UL appears to excel. The i5-14401E's percentile is based solely on Cinebench, which it dominates. The data indicates a simple split: rendering and single-thread-heavy tasks favor the i5-14401E; power-sensitive, mixed-workload systems may prefer the Ultra 3 105UL.