Intel Core i5-14490F vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database shows a decisive overall victory for the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which wins 15 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons. The Intel Core i5-14490F takes only 2 wins, both in legacy single-threaded Cinebench tests, but those are narrow margins compared to the scale of the Ultra 9's multi-threaded dominance.

The most dramatic gap appears in Cinebench R15 multicore, where the Ultra 9 285HX scores 5656.5 against the i5-14490F's 2318, a 59% advantage. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, with the Ultra 9 delivering 20236 versus 9660, a 52.3% lead. Cinebench R23 multicore shows a smaller but still substantial 36.9% gap, with scores of 36429.5 and 23000 respectively.

PassMark tests reinforce the multicore story. The Ultra 9 285HX leads by 62.5% in data encryption (48567 versus 18225), by 55.8% in extended instructions (49148 versus 21731), and by 65.9% in floating point math (194998 versus 66558). The largest percentage margin is in prime number finding, where the Ultra 9 scores 460 against 122, a 73.5% advantage. Data compression shows a 46.2% lead for the Ultra 9 (631885 versus 340026), and random string sorting favors the Ultra 9 by 53.9% (77196 versus 35608).

The i5-14490F's two wins are notable for their character. In Cinebench R15 singlecore, it edges out the Ultra 9 by just 1.1%, scoring 327 against 323.5. The more significant win comes in Cinebench R23 singlecore, where the i5-14490F scores 3247 against 2187.5, a 48.4% advantage. That result suggests the older architecture retains a substantial legacy single-thread advantage in that specific workload, even though PassMark single-thread testing reverses the outcome. In PassMark single-thread, the Ultra 9 leads by 16.1%, scoring 4618 against 3873.

Other PassMark results show consistent Ultra 9 superiority: integer math favors it by 43.4% (155076 versus 87844), multithread by 49.6% (56902 versus 28662), and physics by 39.8% (3476 versus 2093). The overall average benchmark score reflects this split, with the Ultra 9 at 76155 and the i5-14490F at 38149, a 99.6% difference. Percentile rankings place the Ultra 9 in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the i5-14490F sits at the 86th percentile.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX has an average benchmark score of 76155, roughly double the i5-14490F's 38149.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multicore performance?

A: The Ultra 9 285HX scores 36429.5, which is 36.9% higher than the i5-14490F's 23000.

Q: In which benchmark does the i5-14490F achieve its largest victory?

A: The i5-14490F wins Cinebench R23 singlecore by 48.4%, scoring 3247 against the Ultra 9's 2187.5.

Q: What is the closest head-to-head result in the database?

A: Cinebench R15 singlecore is the narrowest margin, with the i5-14490F scoring 327 and the Ultra 9 scoring 323.5, a 1.1% difference.

Q: Does the Ultra 9 285HX lead in every PassMark test?

A: Yes, the Ultra 9 wins all PassMark tests, with margins ranging from 16.1% in single-thread to 73.5% in find prime numbers.

Q: How do the processors rank against all CPUs in the database?

A: The Ultra 9 285HX sits at the 95th percentile, while the i5-14490F ranks at the 86th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and use fundamentally different manufacturing approaches. The i5-14490F is built on Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, on Intel's 10 nm process. Its die size measures 215 mm². The Ultra 9 285HX uses Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-HX, fabricated by TSMC on a 3 nm process, with a die size of 243 mm² and 17,800 million transistors.

Core configurations differ substantially. The i5-14490F provides 10 cores and 16 threads, while the Ultra 9 285HX offers 24 cores and 24 threads. The absence of hyperthreading on the Ultra 9 means its thread count equals its core count, a notable design choice. Cache hierarchies also diverge. The i5-14490F carries 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 9 has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3.

Memory support separates the two clearly. The i5-14490F supports both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus. The Ultra 9 supports only DDR5 but with a rated memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is supported on the Ultra 9 but not on the i5-14490F. PCIe connectivity also differs, with the i5-14490F offering Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Ultra 9 provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only).

Integrated graphics present another distinction. The i5-14490F has no integrated graphics, while the Ultra 9 includes Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. The market segments reflect their intended use: the i5-14490F is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700, and the Ultra 9 is a mobile part on Intel BGA 2114. The Ultra 9 has an unlocked multiplier; the i5-14490F does not.

Specification Differences

The processors differ across nearly every core specification. Core count stands at 10 for the i5-14490F and 24 for the Ultra 9 285HX. Threads follow suit at 16 versus 24. Base clocks are 2.50 GHz for the i5-14490F and 2.80 GHz for the Ultra 9. Boost clocks reach 5.00 GHz on the i5-14490F and 5.50 GHz on the Ultra 9.

Thermal design power differs by 10 watts, with the i5-14490F rated at 65 W and the Ultra 9 at 55 W. Socket types are incompatible: Intel Socket 1700 for the desktop part, Intel BGA 2114 for the mobile part. The process node shows a generational jump from 10 nm to 3 nm, and the foundry shifts from Intel to TSMC. The transistor count is listed only for the Ultra 9 at 17,800 million.

Cache specifications differ at every level. L1 per core is 80 KB versus 192 KB, L2 per core is 1.25 MB versus 3 MB, and shared L3 is 24 MB versus 36 MB. Memory support narrows from DDR4 and DDR5 to DDR5 only, and the Ultra 9 adds a rated memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC support appears only on the Ultra 9. PCIe lanes increase from 16 to 20, both Gen 5. Integrated graphics exist only on the Ultra 9, with Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The multiplier is unlocked on the Ultra 9 only. Release dates also differ, with the i5-14490F launching in December 2023 and the Ultra 9 in January 2025.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is the clear choice for heavily threaded workloads. Its multicore Cinebench results, PassMark multithread, integer math, floating point math, data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, and prime number finding all show commanding leads. The 73.5% margin in find prime numbers and the 65.9% margin in floating point math indicate that compute-heavy parallel tasks benefit significantly from the 24-core configuration. The 49.6% multithread lead and the 46.2% data compression advantage further support its position for rendering, encoding, and scientific workloads.

The Ultra 9 also wins in PassMark single-thread testing by 16.1%, which gives it a more balanced profile than the older part. Its physics score of 3476 versus 2093, a 39.8% margin, suggests advantages in simulation and gaming physics. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 EUs adds functionality that the i5-14490F entirely lacks, which matters for systems without a discrete GPU.

The Intel Core i5-14490F wins specifically in Cinebench R23 singlecore by a substantial 48.4% margin. That outlier result, combined with its narrow 1.1% win in Cinebench R15 singlecore, indicates that older software optimized for the previous architecture may still run well on the desktop part. However, those wins do not extend to PassMark single-thread, where the Ultra 9 leads. The i5-14490F's 10-core, 16-thread configuration and 65 W TDP make it a lower-core-count desktop option, but the head-to-head data shows it trailing in every multi-threaded test and most single-threaded tests.

The overall database ranking places the Ultra 9 at the 95th percentile versus the i5-14490F's 86th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX (0.1% higher average score) and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (0.5% lower), while the i5-14490F sits within 0.3% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245T and Intel Core i5-13600HX. For workloads that scale across cores, the Ultra 9 285HX delivers the stronger recorded performance. For legacy single-threaded Cinebench tasks, the i5-14490F retains a specific advantage that does not carry over to the newer processor's architecture.