Intel Core i5-14490F vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-14490F and Intel Core Ultra 7 265 represent two distinct approaches to desktop processing within Intel’s lineup. The Core i5-14490F is a Raptor Lake Refresh part designed for the LGA 1700 socket, while the Core Ultra 7 265 is a newer Arrow Lake design for the LGA 1851 platform. Benchmark data from the database shows a clear overall winner in the Core Ultra 7 265, which takes 15 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. However, the Core i5-14490F holds two notable victories in the Cinebench R20 suite, indicating that workload selection plays a significant role in determining which processor is superior.

Where Each One Wins

The Core Ultra 7 265 dominates the vast majority of tested workloads, establishing itself as the stronger all-around performer. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42,216 in multi-core and 5,960 in single-core, compared to the Core i5-14490F’s 23,000 and 3,247 respectively. This translates to a 45.5% advantage in both tests, showing a substantial lead in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded rendering tasks. The single-threaded PassMark results reinforce this, with the Core Ultra 7 265 scoring 4,689 against the Core i5-14490F’s 3,873, a 17.4% margin.

The Core Ultra 7 265 also excels in data-intensive operations. Its PassMark data compression score of 522,983 is 35% higher than the Core i5-14490F’s 340,026, and its data encryption result of 40,456 beats the older chip’s 18,225 by 55%. The gap widens further in floating-point math, where the Core Ultra 7 265 scores 172,776 versus 66,558, a 61.5% difference. Prime number finding shows the largest disparity, with the Core Ultra 7 265 at 418 and the Core i5-14490F at 122, a 70.8% lead for the newer processor.

The Core i5-14490F’s only victories come in Cinebench R20. In the multi-core test, it scores 9,660 against the Core Ultra 7 265’s 6,268, a 54.1% advantage. The single-core R20 result follows the same pattern, with the Core i5-14490F at 1,363 and the Core Ultra 7 265 at 884, a 54.2% margin. These results are anomalous compared to the rest of the dataset, where the Core Ultra 7 265 consistently wins by wide margins. The data suggests that the R20 benchmark version interacts differently with the two architectures, favoring the older Raptor Lake design in a way that newer Cinebench versions do not.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Core i5-14490F uses Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, on Intel’s 10 nm process with a 215 mm² die. The Core Ultra 7 265 uses Arrow Lake, codenamed Arrow Lake-S, fabricated by TSMC on a 3 nm process with a 243 mm² die. The transition to TSMC’s 3 nm node is a major change for Intel, enabling higher transistor density, with the Core Ultra 7 265 packing 17,800 million transistors.

Core configuration differs significantly. The Core i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 265 has 20 cores and 20 threads. The Core Ultra 7 265 does not use Hyper-Threading, so its thread count matches its core count, whereas the Core i5-14490F’s 10 cores produce 16 threads. This gives the Core Ultra 7 265 a 10-core and 4-thread advantage, which contributes to its strong multi-threaded performance in most tests.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. The Core 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 Core Ultra 7 265 has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. The larger per-core caches and additional L3 capacity give the Core Ultra 7 265 a memory subsystem advantage that shows up in data-heavy workloads.

Clock speeds are close but favor the Core Ultra 7 265. The Core i5-14490F has a 2.50 GHz base clock and a 5.00 GHz boost clock, while the Core Ultra 7 265 has a 2.40 GHz base clock and a 5.30 GHz boost clock. Both have a 65 W TDP, so power draw is identical in the specification sheets. Memory support differs, with the Core i5-14490F supporting both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Core Ultra 7 265 supports only DDR5 but offers a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the Core Ultra 7 265 comes in PassMark’s find prime numbers test, where it scores 418 against the Core i5-14490F’s 122, a 70.8% lead. This result highlights the efficiency of the Arrow Lake architecture in integer-heavy computational loops. Floating-point math follows closely, with the Core Ultra 7 265 scoring 172,776 versus 66,558, a 61.5% advantage, showing strong SIMD performance.

Data encryption shows a 55% gap, with the Core Ultra 7 265 at 40,456 and the Core i5-14490F at 18,225. Extended instructions also favor the newer chip, with scores of 41,478 and 21,731 respectively, a 47.6% difference. Cinebench R23 results are consistent with these patterns, showing a 45.5% lead for the Core Ultra 7 265 in both multi-core and single-core tests, with scores of 42,216 and 5,960 versus 23,000 and 3,247.

The Core i5-14490F’s R20 wins are striking because they reverse the expected order. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Core i5-14490F scores 9,660 against the Core Ultra 7 265’s 6,268, a 54.1% margin. The single-core R20 test shows a 54.2% gap, with 1,363 versus 884. These results are outliers in an otherwise one-sided comparison, and the data does not explain why the R20 version produces such different outcomes. It is possible that the benchmark version has different optimization paths or workload characteristics that favor the Raptor Lake design.

Other PassMark tests show consistent wins for the Core Ultra 7 265. Integer math scores 134,773 versus 87,844, a 34.8% lead. Multithread scores 49,682 versus 28,662, a 42.3% gap. Random string sorting shows a 44.2% difference, with 63,833 versus 35,608. Physics scores 2,923 versus 2,093, a 28.4% advantage. Data compression rounds out the list with a 35% lead, 522,983 versus 340,026.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has 20 cores and 20 threads, while the Intel Core i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the biggest performance difference between the two?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark’s find prime numbers test, where the Core Ultra 7 265 scores 418 versus 122 for the Core i5-14490F, a 70.8% lead.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the Core i5-14490F wins?

A: Yes, the Core i5-14490F wins in Cinebench R20 multi-core and single-core tests, scoring 9,660 and 1,363 respectively, versus 6,268 and 884 for the Core Ultra 7 265.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: No, the Core i5-14490F supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Core Ultra 7 265 supports only DDR5.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The Core i5-14490F uses Intel’s 10 nm process, while the Core Ultra 7 265 uses TSMC’s 3 nm process.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265 has a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, compared to 5.00 GHz for the Core i5-14490F.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several key specifications. The Core Ultra 7 265 has 20 cores and 20 threads, while the Core i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are close, with the Core i5-14490F at 2.50 GHz and the Core Ultra 7 265 at 2.40 GHz, but the boost clock favors the Core Ultra 7 265 at 5.30 GHz versus 5.00 GHz. Both have a 65 W TDP.

The socket and platform differ completely. The Core i5-14490F uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Core Ultra 7 265 uses Intel Socket 1851. The architecture is Raptor Lake-R for the Core i5-14490F and Arrow Lake-S for the Core Ultra 7 265. The process node jumps from 10 nm to 3 nm, and the foundry shifts from Intel to TSMC. The Core Ultra 7 265’s die size is 243 mm² with 17,800 million transistors, while the Core i5-14490F’s die is 215 mm² with no transistor count recorded.

Cache configurations are larger on the Core Ultra 7 265, with 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3, versus 80 KB L1, 1.25 MB L2, and 24 MB L3 on the Core i5-14490F. Memory support differs, with the Core i5-14490F accepting DDR4 and DDR5, while the Core Ultra 7 265 is DDR5-only and provides 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth. PCIe lanes also differ, with the Core Ultra 7 265 offering Gen 5 with 20 lanes versus 16 lanes on the Core i5-14490F. The Core Ultra 7 265 includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU, while the Core i5-14490F has no integrated graphics. The Core Ultra 7 265 was released in January 2025, later than the Core i5-14490F’s January 2024 release.