Intel Core i5-14401E vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-14401E and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 represent two distinct approaches to desktop processing within Intel’s recent lineup. The i5-14401E is a Raptor Lake Refresh part, while the Ultra 5 225 belongs to the Arrow Lake generation. The recorded benchmark data shows that these two CPUs have very different performance profiles, with each taking clear wins in specific workloads. The following analysis walks through the head-to-head results, architectural differences, and the practical implications of the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark suite used for the direct comparison includes six Cinebench tests, evenly split between single-core and multi-core workloads. The results are not uniform; each processor wins decisively in different tests. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 takes four of the six tests, while the Intel Core i5-14401E wins two.

In the multi-core tests, the results are contradictory. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ultra 5 225 scores 2609 against 1830 for the i5-14401E. That is a 29.9% advantage for the Ultra 5 225. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Ultra 5 225 again leads, scoring 25891 versus 18161, another 29.9% gap. However, in Cinebench R20 multi-core, the i5-14401E wins with a score of 7627 against 6317, a 20.7% lead. This is a notable inversion; the same processor that loses by roughly 30% in two multi-core tests wins by over 20% in a third.

The single-core results show a similar split. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ultra 5 225 scores 368 versus 258, a 29.9% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Ultra 5 225 scores 3655 against 2564, a 29.8% advantage. But in Cinebench R20 single-core, the i5-14401E wins with 1076 versus 891, a 20.8% lead. The pattern is consistent across both single-core and multi-core: the Ultra 5 225 dominates in R15 and R23, while the i5-14401E dominates in R20.

The overall win count is 4 for the Ultra 5 225 and 2 for the i5-14401E. The margin of victory for the Ultra 5 225 in its winning tests is consistently around 30%, while the i5-14401E wins its two tests by roughly 21%. This suggests that the Ultra 5 225 has a larger performance ceiling in the workloads where it leads, while the i5-14401E’s wins, though narrower, are still substantial.

Looking at the percentile data, the Ultra 5 225 sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the i5-14401E sits at the 60th percentile. The average benchmark score for the Ultra 5 225 is 36938, which places it near the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and the Intel Core i9-12900T. The i5-14401E has an average benchmark score of 5253, placing it near the Intel Xeon E5-2699A v4, the Intel Core i7-11700B, the Intel Core i9-10850K, and the Intel Core i5-13400T. The difference in average score is dramatic, but the Cinebench head-to-head tests show that the i5-14401E is still competitive in specific workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The Intel Core i5-14401E uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R variant, and is fabricated on a 10 nm process node by Intel. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 uses the Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-S, and is fabricated on a 3 nm process node by TSMC. The Ultra 5 225 also has a significantly larger die size at 243 mm², compared to 215 mm² for the i5-14401E. The Ultra 5 225 contains 17,800 million transistors, a figure not recorded for the i5-14401E.

The core and thread configurations differ substantially. The i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads, indicating that it uses hyper-threading. The Ultra 5 225 has 10 cores and 10 threads, meaning it has no hyper-threading. This explains why the Ultra 5 225 can win multi-core tests despite having the same number of threads as the i5-14401E: it relies on a higher physical core count and a more advanced process node.

Cache configurations also differ. The i5-14401E has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 225 has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The L3 cache is identical at 20 MB, but the Ultra 5 225 has more than double the L1 cache per core and significantly more L2 cache per core.

Clock speeds favor the Ultra 5 225. The i5-14401E has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The Ultra 5 225 has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Both processors have a TDP of 65 watts. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Memory support is another differentiator. The i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the Ultra 5 225 supports DDR5 only. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Ultra 5 225 has a recorded memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, a figure not listed for the i5-14401E. The i5-14401E supports ECC memory, while the Ultra 5 225 does not.

PCIe support also differs. The i5-14401E provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Ultra 5 225 provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics differ as well: the i5-14401E uses UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 5 225 uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU. The sockets are not interchangeable: the i5-14401E uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 5 225 uses Intel Socket 1851.

Where Each One Wins

The Cinebench data shows that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is the stronger processor in most of the tested workloads. It wins Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R15 single-core, Cinebench R23 multi-core, and Cinebench R23 single-core. In each of these tests, its margin is approximately 30%. This indicates a broad advantage in both lightly threaded and heavily threaded tasks, as long as the workload aligns with the R15 or R23 rendering engines.

The Intel Core i5-14401E wins Cinebench R20 multi-core and Cinebench R20 single-core, with margins of 20.7% and 20.8% respectively. This is a specific and repeatable advantage in the R20 workload. The i5-14401E’s wins are not isolated to a single type of workload; it wins both single-core and multi-core within the same test suite generation.

The practical split is as follows. For users running Cinebench R15 or R23, the Ultra 5 225 is the clear choice. For users running Cinebench R20, the i5-14401E is the better performer. Beyond the synthetic benchmarks, the Ultra 5 225 also posts additional PassMark scores. These include 302811 in data compression, 22285 in data encryption, 27162 in extended instructions, 358 in find prime numbers, 92038 in floating point math, 65345 in integer math, 30459 in multithread, 2342 in physics, 36590 in random string sorting, and 4412 in single-thread. The i5-14401E does not have comparable PassMark scores recorded in the database, so the Ultra 5 225 is the only one of the two with data for those specific workloads.

The percentile ranking reinforces this split. The Ultra 5 225 sits at the 85th percentile, which is well above the i5-14401E’s 60th percentile. The average benchmark score for the Ultra 5 225 is 36938, which is nearly seven times higher than the i5-14401E’s 5253. However, the average score is heavily influenced by the additional PassMark tests that only the Ultra 5 225 has, so it should not be read as a direct apples-to-apples comparison.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head tests?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 wins 4 of the 6 head-to-head Cinebench tests. The Intel Core i5-14401E wins the remaining 2.

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

A: The largest gaps are in Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R15 single-core, and Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 leads by 29.9% in each case.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-14401E win any tests?

A: Yes, the i5-14401E wins Cinebench R20 multi-core by 20.7% and Cinebench R20 single-core by 20.8% over the Ultra 5 225.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has 10 cores and 10 threads. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which is higher than the i5-14401E’s boost clock of 4.70 GHz.

Q: Do these processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 supports DDR5 only.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear overall performance advantage for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225. It wins four of six head-to-head tests, often by roughly 30%, and it holds a much higher percentile ranking at 85 compared to 60. Its 10 physical cores, higher clock speeds, larger cache per core, and more advanced 3 nm process node from TSMC all contribute to its dominance in the majority of the tested workloads.

The Intel Core i5-14401E is not without merit. Its wins in Cinebench R20, both single-core and multi-core, show that it can outperform the Ultra 5 225 in specific rendering workloads. Its support for DDR4 memory and ECC memory, along with a lower transistor count and smaller die size, may make it a different kind of option for certain desktop builds. However, the recorded data does not include any PassMark results for the i5-14401E, so its performance in those specific tasks cannot be assessed.

For users prioritizing the workloads represented by Cinebench R15 and R23, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is the stronger processor. For users whose primary workload is represented by Cinebench R20, the Intel Core i5-14401E has a measurable edge. The Ultra 5 225 also offers more PCIe lanes, a higher memory bandwidth figure, and a more recent release date. The i5-14401E uses an older socket and an older manufacturing process.

The verdict from the data is straightforward: the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is the higher-performing processor overall, but the Intel Core i5-14401E remains competitive in a specific subset of tests. The choice between them depends entirely on which benchmarks matter most to the user.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors:

• Series: Core 14th Gen for the i5-14401E, Core Ultra Series 2 for the Ultra 5 225.
• Cores: 6 for the i5-14401E, 10 for the Ultra 5 225.
• Threads: 12 for the i5-14401E, 10 for the Ultra 5 225.
• Base Clock: 2.50 GHz for the i5-14401E, 3.30 GHz for the Ultra 5 225.
• Boost Clock: 4.70 GHz for the i5-14401E, 4.90 GHz for the Ultra 5 225.
• Socket: Intel Socket 1700 for the i5-14401E, Intel Socket 1851 for the Ultra 5 225.
• Architecture: Raptor Lake for the i5-14401E, Arrow Lake for the Ultra 5 225.
• Codename: Raptor Lake-R for the i5-14401E, Arrow Lake-S for the Ultra 5 225.
• Process Node: 10 nm for the i5-14401E, 3 nm for the Ultra 5 225.
• Foundry: Intel for the i5-14401E, TSMC for the Ultra 5 225.
• Die Size: 215 mm² for the i5-14401E, 243 mm² for the Ultra 5 225.
• Transistors: Not recorded for the i5-14401E, 17,800 million for the Ultra 5 225.
• L1 Cache: 80 KB per core for the i5-14401E, 192 KB per core for the Ultra 5 225.
• L2 Cache: 1.25 MB per core for the i5-14401E, 3 MB per core for the Ultra 5 225.
• Memory Support: DDR4 and DDR5 for the i5-14401E, DDR5 only for the Ultra 5 225.
• Memory Bandwidth: Not recorded for the i5-14401E, 102.4 GB/s for the Ultra 5 225.
• ECC Memory: Supported by the i5-14401E, not supported by the Ultra 5 225.
• PCIe: Gen 5 with 16 lanes for the i5-14401E, Gen 5 with 20 lanes for the Ultra 5 225.
• Integrated Graphics: UHD Graphics 730 for the i5-14401E, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU for the Ultra 5 225.
• Release Date: 2024-06-30 for the i5-14401E, 2025-01-06 for the Ultra 5 225.
• Launch MSRP: Not recorded for the i5-14401E, $246 for the Ultra 5 225.
• Part Number: Q49JSRNJS for the i5-14401E, SRQCZSRVF7 for the Ultra 5 225.