Intel Core i5-14401E vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285H Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The two processors split their benchmark results along a clear line. The Intel Core i5-14401E secures only a single win across the six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H takes the other five. That lone victory for the i5-14401E comes in the Cinebench R23 single-core test, where it scores 2564 against the Ultra 9's 2129.5, a lead of 20.4 percent. This indicates that in a purely single-threaded workload, the desktop part holds a measurable advantage.

The Ultra 9 285H dominates every multi-threaded test in the comparison set. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 3177.5 versus 1830, a 42.4 percent gap. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the margin is 37.5 percent, with scores of 12201 and 7627. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result narrows the gap to 12.6 percent, but the Ultra 9 still leads with 20781.5 against 18161. The Ultra 9 also wins both single-core tests in R15 and R20, posting 313 versus 258 in R15 (17.6 percent ahead) and 1722 versus 1076 in R20 (37.5 percent ahead). Only the R23 single-core test breaks the pattern.

Looking at the broader database, the Ultra 9 285H sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs, while the i5-14401E sits at the 60th percentile. The average benchmark score for the Ultra 9 is 38312, which places it near the Intel Core 9 270H, the Intel Core i5-13600HX, the Intel Xeon w3-2525, and the AMD Ryzen 7 250, all within a small margin of each other. The i5-14401E, with an average score of 5253, sits close to the Intel Xeon E5-2699A v4, the Intel Core i7-11700B, the Intel Core i9-10850K, and the Intel Core i5-13400T. The two processors occupy very different performance tiers in the database overall.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between these two parts is substantial. The i5-14401E is built on Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, and belongs to the Core 14th Gen family. It uses a 10 nm process node fabricated by Intel. The Ultra 9 285H belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2, uses Arrow Lake architecture with the Arrow Lake-H codename, and is built on a 3 nm process node fabricated by TSMC. This process difference is significant, as it reflects a much newer manufacturing technology for the mobile part.

The core counts differ sharply. The i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads, meaning hyper-threading is enabled. The Ultra 9 285H has 16 cores and 16 threads, which indicates it does not use simultaneous multi-threading. Despite having more cores, the Ultra 9 matches its thread count to its core count. The cache hierarchies also differ. The i5-14401E has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 9 285H has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Every level of cache is larger on the Ultra 9.

The sockets are incompatible. The i5-14401E uses Intel Socket 1700, a desktop socket, while the Ultra 9 285H uses Intel BGA 2049, a mobile package. The market segments confirm this split: the i5-14401E is a desktop processor, and the Ultra 9 285H is a mobile processor. The integrated graphics also differ. The i5-14401E carries UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 9 285H carries Arc Graphics 140T. Memory support diverges as well: the i5-14401E supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 9 285H supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X. Both support ECC memory, and both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Ultra 9 lists a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, while no bandwidth figure is recorded for the i5-14401E.

PCIe connectivity also differs. The i5-14401E offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes on the CPU, while the Ultra 9 285H offers Gen 5 with 8 lanes on the CPU. The release dates place the i5-14401E in mid-2024 and the Ultra 9 in early 2025. Both parts are currently listed as active in production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest performance gap in the comparison is in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the Ultra 9 285H leads by 42.4 percent. That test shows the Ultra 9 scoring 3177.5 against the i5-14401E's 1830. The Cinebench R20 multi-core test shows a 37.5 percent lead for the Ultra 9, with scores of 12201 and 7627. The same 37.5 percent margin appears in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the Ultra 9 scores 1722 and the i5-14401E scores 1076.

The Cinebench R15 single-core test shows a smaller but still clear advantage for the Ultra 9, which scores 313 against 258, a 17.6 percent lead. The Cinebench R23 multi-core test narrows the Ultra 9's advantage to 12.6 percent, with scores of 20781.5 and 18161. The only reverse result is Cinebench R23 single-core, where the i5-14401E scores 2564 against the Ultra 9's 2129.5, giving the desktop part a 20.4 percent lead.

The pattern across these results suggests that the Ultra 9's advantage is largest in shorter, older Cinebench versions and in multi-threaded workloads, while the i5-14401E shows a competitive single-core result only in the R23 version. The R23 single-core result is notable because it contradicts the R15 and R20 single-core results, both of which favor the Ultra 9. The database records five wins for the Ultra 9 and one for the i5-14401E in this head-to-head set.

The broader benchmark data for the Ultra 9 includes results not available for the i5-14401E. These include a Geekbench multi-core score of 14743, a Geekbench single-core score of 2178, and a range of PassMark tests covering data compression (335859), data encryption (26140), extended instructions (26794), prime number finding (330), floating point math (109190), integer math (85922), multithread (34171), physics (2513), random string sorting (40931), and single-thread performance (4415). The i5-14401E has no recorded results in these tests, so a direct comparison is not possible for those workloads.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show several fields where the two processors differ. The i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Ultra 9 285H has 16 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 2.50 GHz for the i5-14401E and 2.90 GHz for the Ultra 9. Boost clocks are 4.70 GHz and 5.40 GHz respectively. Thermal design power is 65 watts for the i5-14401E and 45 watts for the Ultra 9, meaning the desktop part has a higher power envelope despite being slower in most tests.

The i5-14401E uses a 10 nm process node from Intel, while the Ultra 9 uses a 3 nm node from TSMC. The die size for the i5-14401E is 215 mm², while no die size is recorded for the Ultra 9. Cache figures differ at every level, as described above. The i5-14401E supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the Ultra 9 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X. The Ultra 9 records a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s; the i5-14401E does not have a bandwidth figure in the database. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe lanes differ: the i5-14401E has Gen 5 with 16 lanes, and the Ultra 9 has Gen 5 with 8 lanes. The integrated graphics units are different models. The sockets are different, and the market segments are different. The i5-14401E has a part number of Q49JSRNJS, while the Ultra 9 has a part number of SRQAL. The i5-14401E has no launch MSRP recorded, while the Ultra 9 has a launch MSRP of $651. The i5-14401E launched in mid-2024, and the Ultra 9 launched in early 2025. Both are active in production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H has 16 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor wins the most head-to-head benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H wins 5 of the 6 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The Intel Core i5-14401E wins 1.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the Intel Core i5-14401E beats the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H?

A: Yes, in Cinebench R23 single-core, the i5-14401E scores 2564 against the Ultra 9's 2129.5, a 20.4 percent lead.

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

A: The largest gap is in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the Ultra 9 285H leads by 42.4 percent, scoring 3177.5 against 1830.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i5-14401E and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H support ECC memory.

Q: What are the market segments for these two processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E is a desktop processor using Intel Socket 1700. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is a mobile processor using Intel BGA 2049.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split in intended use. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is the stronger processor in nearly every recorded comparison. It wins all multi-threaded Cinebench tests, wins the R15 and R20 single-core tests, sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs, and carries a much higher average benchmark score of 38312. Its 16 cores, larger caches, newer 3 nm process node from TSMC, and higher boost clock of 5.40 GHz support these results. For workloads that scale across cores, such as rendering or compilation, the recorded data shows a decisive advantage for the Ultra 9.

The Intel Core i5-14401E has one clear strength in the recorded data: Cinebench R23 single-core performance. Its score of 2564 beats the Ultra 9 by 20.4 percent, and its boost clock of 4.70 GHz, while lower than the Ultra 9's 5.40 GHz, still delivers a competitive single-thread result in that specific test. However, that single win does not offset the broader pattern. The i5-14401E sits at the 60th percentile, has an average benchmark score of 5253, and loses the other five head-to-head comparisons by margins ranging from 12.6 percent to 42.4 percent.

The socket and market segment differences make a direct system-level swap impossible. The i5-14401E is a desktop part for Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 9 is a mobile part for Intel BGA 2049. Anyone choosing between them is choosing between a desktop platform and a mobile platform. Within those constraints, the Ultra 9 285H offers the better recorded performance profile, with a higher percentile ranking, higher average score, and more benchmark wins. The i5-14401E offers a single-core edge in one Cinebench version and a desktop socket with 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which may matter for system builders who need more CPU-attached PCIe connectivity. The Ultra 9, despite having fewer PCIe lanes and a mobile package, delivers stronger results across the majority of the recorded benchmark data.