Intel Core i5-14490F vs Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy between these two Intel processors. The Intel Core i5-14490F wins 16 of 17 head-to-head comparisons, with an average benchmark score of 38,149 against 19,368 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V. The i5-14490F sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs, while the Ultra 5 226V lands at the 73rd percentile.

The Core i5-14490F is the choice for compute-heavy desktop workloads. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13600KF (0.1% higher average score) and the AMD Ryzen 7 250 (0.2% higher), placing it in solid mid-range desktop territory. The Core Ultra 5 226V, by contrast, aligns with the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (0% delta) and Intel Core i5-1345U (0.2% lower), indicating a mobile-focused, efficiency-oriented part.

For users building a desktop system with an Intel Socket 1700 motherboard and needing sustained multi-threaded performance, the i5-14490F is the superior option. The Ultra 5 226V, with its 17 watt TDP, integrated Arc 130V graphics, and mobile BGA 2833 socket, is designed for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and low heat output matter more than raw compute throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different Intel design lineages. The Core i5-14490F uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process node fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 215 mm². It belongs to the Core 14th Gen series and the Raptor Lake Refresh generation. The Core Ultra 5 226V uses the Lunar Lake architecture on a 3 nm process node fabricated by TSMC, belonging to the Core Ultra Series 2 and Ultra 5 (Lunar Lake) generation.

Core counts differ substantially. The i5-14490F provides 10 cores and 16 threads, while the Ultra 5 226V provides 8 cores and 8 threads. The i5-14490F therefore supports hyper-threading, doubling its thread count, whereas the Ultra 5 226V does not. This explains much of the multi-threaded performance gap.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. The i5-14490F has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 226V has 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, but only 8 MB of shared L3. The larger L3 on the desktop part gives it a notable advantage in workloads that reuse data sets exceeding 8 MB.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The i5-14490F runs at 2.50 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost, while the Ultra 5 226V runs at 2.10 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost. The desktop part operates at higher frequencies across the board, contributing to its lead in single-threaded tests.

Power and platform targets are completely different. The i5-14490F has a 65 watt TDP and uses the Intel Socket 1700 desktop platform, supporting both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The Ultra 5 226V has a 17 watt TDP and uses the Intel BGA 2833 mobile socket, with memory support dependent on the motherboard. The i5-14490F also exposes 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU, while the Ultra 5 226V exposes only 4 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the i5-14490F scores 23,000 against 9,848 for the Ultra 5 226V, a 133.5% advantage. This massive gap reflects the combination of more cores, more threads, higher clocks, and a much larger L3 cache. The R23 single-core test shows an 86.2% lead (3,247 versus 1,744), which is unusually large for a single-threaded comparison and points to the Ultra 5 226V's lower boost clock and efficiency-oriented design.

Cinebench R20 results are similarly one-sided. The multi-core score of 9,660 versus 6,381 represents a 51.4% lead, and the single-core score of 1,363 versus 900 is also 51.4% ahead. The R15 multi-core test shows a 54.4% lead (2,318 versus 1,501), while R15 single-core shows 22.5% (327 versus 267).

PassMark integer math produces the second-largest margin: 87,844 versus 38,647, a 127.3% difference. Data compression follows at 99.2% (340,026 versus 170,687). Random string sorting shows a 71.1% lead (35,608 versus 20,813). The multi-threaded PassMark score demonstrates a 60.6% advantage (28,662 versus 17,850).

The i5-14490F also wins in data encryption (18,225 versus 12,710, 43.4% ahead), extended instructions (21,731 versus 14,724, 47.6% ahead), floating-point math (66,558 versus 52,270, 27.3% ahead), and physics (2,093 versus 1,449, 44.4% ahead).

The Ultra 5 226V claims only one victory: PassMark find prime numbers, scoring 166 versus 122 for the i5-14490F, a 26.5% margin. This suggests the Lunar Lake architecture has a specific advantage in certain integer prime-number workloads, possibly related to its newer instruction handling or different cache behavior.

The closest overall result is PassMark single-thread, where the i5-14490F scores 3,873 versus 3,754, a modest 3.2% lead. This indicates the Ultra 5 226V's architecture is competitive on a per-thread basis in some workloads, but the i5-14490F still edges ahead.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show clear divergences across nearly every field:

• Core count: 10 cores for the i5-14490F, 8 for the Ultra 5 226V
• Thread count: 16 threads for the i5-14490F, 8 for the Ultra 5 226V
• Base clock: 2.50 GHz versus 2.10 GHz
• Boost clock: 5.00 GHz versus 4.50 GHz
• TDP: 65 watts versus 17 watts
• Socket: Intel Socket 1700 versus Intel BGA 2833
• Architecture: Raptor Lake versus Lunar Lake
• Process node: 10 nm (Intel) versus 3 nm (TSMC)
• Die size: 215 mm² for the i5-14490F, no recorded figure for the Ultra 5 226V
• L1 cache: 80 KB per core versus 192 KB per core
• L2 cache: 1.25 MB per core versus 2.5 MB per core
• L3 cache: 24 MB shared versus 8 MB shared
• Memory support: DDR4 and DDR5 versus dependent on motherboard
• PCIe: Gen 5 with 16 lanes versus Gen 5 with 4 lanes
• Integrated graphics: N/A versus Arc 130V
• Market segment: Desktop versus Mobile
• Release date: December 31, 2023 versus September 23, 2024

Both processors share dual-channel memory buses, no ECC support, no unlocked multiplier, and active production status. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F has an average benchmark score of 38,149, compared to 19,368 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V. This places the i5-14490F at the 86th percentile of all CPUs and the Ultra 5 226V at the 73rd percentile.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap in Cinebench R23?

A: The i5-14490F scores 23,000 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Ultra 5 226V scores 9,848. This represents a 133.5% advantage for the i5-14490F, the largest margin in any recorded benchmark.

Q: Does the Ultra 5 226V win any benchmark at all?

A: Yes, the Ultra 5 226V wins the PassMark find prime numbers test with a score of 166 versus 122 for the i5-14490F, a 26.5% margin. This is the only win among 17 head-to-head comparisons.

Q: What explains the i5-14490F's advantage in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads, a 5.00 GHz boost clock, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 226V has 8 cores and 8 threads, a 4.50 GHz boost clock, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. These differences compound in multi-threaded tests.

Q: How close are the two in single-threaded performance?

A: The closest single-threaded result is PassMark single-thread, where the i5-14490F scores 3,873 versus 3,754 for the Ultra 5 226V, a 3.2% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, however, the i5-14490F leads by 86.2% (3,247 versus 1,744).

Q: What platform differences should be considered?

A: The i5-14490F uses the desktop Intel Socket 1700 platform with DDR4 and DDR5 support and 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The Ultra 5 226V uses the mobile Intel BGA 2833 socket with motherboard-dependent memory support and only 4 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The i5-14490F has a 65 watt TDP, while the Ultra 5 226V has a 17 watt TDP.