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

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a fascinating split between these two Intel desktop processors. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F dominates in the older Cinebench R15 and R20 workloads, while the Intel Core i5-14401E fights back decisively in the R23 suite. The head-to-head results show the Ultra 5 225F taking four wins out of six tests, but the margin of victory matters as much as the count.

Starting with Cinebench R15 multicore, the Core Ultra 5 225F posts 2660 against the Core i5-14401E's 1830, a 31.2% advantage. The single-core R15 test tells a similar story, with the Ultra 5 225F scoring 287 versus 258, a 10.1% lead. These are substantial gaps, particularly the multicore result, which suggests the newer chip's architecture handles the older renderer with significantly more efficiency.

The R20 workloads reinforce this pattern. The Ultra 5 225F scores 11059 in multicore compared to 7627 for the i5-14401E, a 31% difference. In single-core R20, the Ultra 5 225F reaches 1561 against 1076, another 31.1% gap. The consistency of that roughly 31% multicore delta across both R15 and R20 indicates a structural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

Then the data flips. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the Core i5-14401E scores 18161 versus 16467 for the Ultra 5 225F, a 10.3% win. The single-core R23 result is even more lopsided: 2564 for the i5-14401E against 1893 for the Ultra 5 225F, a 35.4% advantage. This reversal is striking. The older Raptor Lake part, which loses badly in R15 and R20, suddenly becomes the clear victor in R23. The 35.4% single-core margin is the largest delta in the entire head-to-head set.

What explains this pattern? The R23 results suggest the i5-14401E's per-core performance scales differently under newer rendering workloads. Its boost clock of 4.70 GHz, combined with the Raptor Lake architecture, appears to respond well to R23's specific instruction patterns. The Ultra 5 225F, despite its higher 4.90 GHz boost clock and newer 3 nm process, delivers lower R23 scores, which hints at different thermal or power behavior under sustained load.

The passmark data, available only for the Ultra 5 225F, provides additional context. It scores 4397 in single-thread, 31004 in multithread, and 92554 in floating point math. The i5-14401E has no corresponding passmark entries in the database, so a direct comparison on those workloads is not possible. But the average benchmark score differs dramatically: the Ultra 5 225F averages 37313, while the i5-14401E averages 5253. That disparity stems largely from the passmark tests being included in the Ultra 5 225F's average but absent from the i5-14401E's record, so the two averages are not directly comparable.

Where Each One Wins

The Core Ultra 5 225F is the clear winner in legacy rendering workloads. Its R15 and R20 results, both multicore and single-core, show leads ranging from 10.1% to 31.2%. For users running applications built around those older Cinebench versions, or workloads with similar characteristics, the Ultra 5 225F's architecture delivers consistently higher throughput.

The Core i5-14401E, by contrast, wins in the R23 suite. Its 10.3% multicore advantage and 35.4% single-core advantage in R23 indicate that the Raptor Lake architecture maintains strong performance in newer rendering tasks. The i5-14401E also benefits from hyperthreading, offering 12 threads across 6 cores, whereas the Ultra 5 225F provides 10 threads across 10 cores with no hyperthreading. That thread count difference likely contributes to the i5-14401E's R23 multicore win, as the scheduler can distribute work across more logical processors.

The Ultra 5 225F's passmark results suggest strengths in data-heavy tasks. It scores 310843 in data compression, 22648 in data encryption, and 28027 in extended instructions. These are substantial numbers, though without i5-14401E passmark data, the relative comparison remains incomplete. The Ultra 5 225F also shows strong integer math at 66417 and random string sorting at 37325, further indicating solid general-purpose computation.

The i5-14401E's wins are concentrated in the newest Cinebench revision, which may matter more for modern rendering workflows. The 35.4% single-core lead in R23 is particularly notable, as single-threaded performance often drives responsiveness in everyday applications.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design generations. The Core i5-14401E uses Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, built on Intel's 10 nm process. The Core Ultra 5 225F uses Arrow Lake, specifically Arrow Lake-S, fabricated by TSMC on a 3 nm node. This process difference is significant: the 3 nm node allows the Ultra 5 225F to pack 17,800 million transistors into a 243 mm² die, while the i5-14401E's die measures 215 mm² with no transistor count listed in the database.

Core configurations diverge sharply. The i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads, relying on hyperthreading to double its logical processor count. The Ultra 5 225F has 10 cores and 10 threads, with no hyperthreading. This means the Ultra 5 225F has more physical cores but fewer threads overall. The cache layouts also differ: the i5-14401E uses 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, while the Ultra 5 225F uses 192 KB of L1 per core and 3 MB of L2 per core. Both share 20 MB of L3, so the total last-level cache is identical, but the per-core private caches are substantially larger on the Ultra 5 225F.

Memory support represents another architectural fork. The i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, with ECC memory support enabled. The Ultra 5 225F supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, with a listed memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The i5-14401E has no bandwidth figure in the database. The Ultra 5 225F drops ECC support entirely.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The i5-14401E provides Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Ultra 5 225F provides Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. That extra four lanes could matter for expansion cards or storage controllers. Integrated graphics also separate the two: the i5-14401E includes UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 5 225F has no integrated graphics at all, marked as N/A.

Specification Differences

The socket changes completely. The i5-14401E uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 5 225F uses Intel Socket 1851. These are not interchangeable, so motherboard compatibility dictates which processor a system can accept.

Clock speeds favor the Ultra 5 225F on paper. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz against 2.50 GHz for the i5-14401E, and its boost clock reaches 4.90 GHz versus 4.70 GHz. Both parts have a 65 W TDP, keeping power envelopes identical despite the architectural differences.

The release dates place them roughly six months apart. The i5-14401E launched on 2024-06-30, while the Ultra 5 225F launched on 2025-01-06. The Ultra 5 225F has a launch MSRP of $231, while the i5-14401E has no launch MSRP listed in the database.

Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking potential is limited on both. The i5-14401E supports ECC memory, a feature absent from the Ultra 5 225F. The market segment for both is desktop, and both remain in active production.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F has 10 cores, while the Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores. However, the i5-14401E has 12 threads due to hyperthreading, while the Ultra 5 225F has 10 threads.

Q: How do they compare in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E wins with a score of 18161 against 16467 for the Ultra 5 225F, a 10.3% advantage.

Q: Does the Core Ultra 5 225F support DDR4 memory?

A: No. The Ultra 5 225F supports only DDR5, while the i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E includes UHD Graphics 730. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F has no integrated graphics, listed as N/A.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The i5-14401E is built on Intel's 10 nm process, while the Ultra 5 225F is built on TSMC's 3 nm process.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F boosts to 4.90 GHz, compared to 4.70 GHz for the i5-14401E.

The Verdict

The benchmark data paints a clear picture of two processors optimized for different priorities. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F wins four of six head-to-head tests, with dominant leads in Cinebench R15 and R20. Its 31% multicore advantages in those workloads, combined with a larger 10-core configuration and 20 PCIe lanes, make it the stronger choice for legacy rendering applications and systems requiring more expansion capability. The 3 nm process and 17,800 million transistors indicate a more modern foundation, and the 85th percentile ranking across all CPUs versus 60th for the i5-14401E reinforces its overall standing.

The Intel Core i5-14401E, however, holds a decisive edge in Cinebench R23, particularly in single-core performance where it leads by 35.4%. Its 12 threads, ECC memory support, DDR4 compatibility, and integrated graphics give it practical advantages in specific environments. The R23 results suggest that for newer rendering workloads, the Raptor Lake architecture still delivers competitive, sometimes superior, performance.

The choice depends on workload priorities. Systems running R15 or R20-era software, or those needing the Ultra 5 225F's higher base and boost clocks, should favor the newer part. Systems targeting R23 performance, requiring ECC memory, or needing fallback integrated graphics should consider the i5-14401E. The data does not declare a single winner, it defines two distinct performance profiles.