Intel Core i7-10700K vs Intel Core Ultra 5 238V Comparison

The Intel Core i7-10700K and Intel Core Ultra 5 238V represent two very different design philosophies separated by four years of silicon evolution. The 10700K is a high-power desktop part built on a mature 14nm process, while the 238V is a low-power mobile processor fabricated on a advanced 3nm node. Despite their contrasting architectures, the head-to-head benchmark data shows a remarkably close overall contest, with the i7-10700K taking 11 wins against the Ultra 5 238V's 6 wins. The average benchmark scores reinforce this parity, with the i7-10700K posting 22230 and the Ultra 5 238V posting 21981. Both processors sit at the 75th percentile among all CPUs, and their nearest rivals confirm the tight grouping: the i7-10700K is within 1.1% of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and the Intel Core i7-11700F, while the Ultra 5 238V sits exactly level with the i7-11700F and Ryzen 5 3600X.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-10700K dominates in workloads that reward raw multi-threaded throughput and legacy instruction throughput. Its most lopsided victory comes in PassMark integer math, where it scores 66642 against the Ultra 5's 38889, a decisive 71.4% advantage. Data compression tells a similar story, with the i7-10700K scoring 295418 versus 176532, a 67.3% lead. Random string sorting also favors the older chip by 69.7%, scoring 36633 against 21585. The i7-10700K further wins extended instructions (19387 vs 15377, a 26.1% gap) and the multithreaded PassMark suite (18609 vs 18407, a modest 1.1% edge). In Cinebench tests, the i7-10700K wins every single instance, though by slim margins: 0.6% in R15 multicore, 0.5% in R15 singlecore, 0.5% in R20 multicore, 0.5% in R20 singlecore, 0.5% in R23 multicore, and 0.5% in R23 singlecore.

The Ultra 5 238V counterattacks in single-threaded and specialized workloads. Its PassMark single-thread score of 3890 crushes the i7-10700K's 3043, a 21.8% advantage. Floating-point math also favors the newer chip, scoring 53160 against 41306, a 22.3% lead. The Ultra 5 is massively faster in prime number finding, scoring 174 versus 55, a 68.4% margin, and in physics calculations it scores 1546 against 933, a 39.7% edge. Data encryption is another strong suit, with the Ultra 5 scoring 13072 versus 6468, a 50.5% advantage. These results suggest the Ultra 5 238V excels in security-related tasks, scientific floating-point workloads, and single-threaded responsiveness, while the i7-10700K remains the choice for integer-heavy data processing and traditional rendering tasks.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two processors is vast. The i7-10700K uses the Comet Lake architecture on Intel's 14nm process node, fabricated by Intel itself. It is a desktop part with a 125W TDP, running on the Intel Socket 1200 platform. In contrast, the Ultra 5 238V uses the Lunar Lake architecture on a 3nm process node, manufactured by TSMC, and is a mobile part with a mere 17W TDP, soldered to Intel BGA 2833. The i7-10700K features 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Ultra 5 238V also has 8 cores but only 8 threads, indicating it lacks hyper-threading. Clock speeds differ substantially: the i7-10700K has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, while the Ultra 5 238V operates at a much lower 2.10 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost.

Cache hierarchies are completely redesigned. The i7-10700K has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 238V has 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and only 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support diverges as well: the i7-10700K uses DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, while the Ultra 5 238V's memory support is listed as unknown and dependent on the motherboard, though it also uses a dual-channel bus. PCIe connectivity shows a generational leap, with the i7-10700K offering Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Ultra 5 238V provides Gen 5 with only 4 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ, with the i7-10700K featuring UHD Graphics 630 and the Ultra 5 238V equipped with Arc 130V. The i7-10700K has an unlocked multiplier, while the Ultra 5 238V is locked. The i7-10700K was released on 2020-04-29, while the Ultra 5 238V launched on 2024-09-23.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-10700K has 16 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 238V has only 8 threads, despite both having 8 cores.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-threaded performance?

A: The Ultra 5 238V wins decisively in PassMark single-thread, scoring 3890 against the i7-10700K's 3043, a 21.8% advantage. However, in Cinebench R23 singlecore, the i7-10700K narrowly wins with 2220 versus 2208, a 0.5% margin.

Q: Which processor is better for data compression workloads?

A: The i7-10700K is far superior, scoring 295418 in PassMark data compression against the Ultra 5 238V's 176532, a 67.3% lead.

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two?

A: The i7-10700K has a TDP of 125W, while the Ultra 5 238V has a TDP of only 17W, reflecting the desktop versus mobile market segmentation.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No, both the i7-10700K and the Ultra 5 238V do not support ECC memory.

Q: Which chip has the higher boost clock?

A: The i7-10700K has a higher boost clock at 5.10 GHz, compared to the Ultra 5 238V's 4.70 GHz.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across every major specification category. The i7-10700K is a Comet Lake desktop part on Intel's 14nm process, while the Ultra 5 238V is a Lunar Lake mobile part on TSMC's 3nm process. Core counts are equal at 8, but threads differ: 16 for the i7-10700K versus 8 for the Ultra 5 238V. Base clocks are 3.80 GHz versus 2.10 GHz, and boost clocks are 5.10 GHz versus 4.70 GHz, both favoring the i7-10700K. TDP is dramatically different, with 125W for the i7-10700K and 17W for the Ultra 5 238V. Sockets are incompatible, with the i7-10700K using Intel Socket 1200 and the Ultra 5 238V using Intel BGA 2833. L1 cache is 64 KB per core versus 192 KB per core, L2 cache is 256 KB per core versus 2.5 MB per core, and L3 cache is 16 MB shared versus 8 MB shared, all favoring the Ultra 5 238V except for L3. Memory support differs, with DDR4 for the i7-10700K and unknown motherboard-dependent support for the Ultra 5 238V. PCIe is Gen 3 with 16 lanes versus Gen 5 with 4 lanes. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 630 versus Arc 130V. The i7-10700K has an unlocked multiplier, while the Ultra 5 238V is locked. Release dates are 2020-04-29 for the i7-10700K and 2024-09-23 for the Ultra 5 238V.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows an extremely tight contest, with the i7-10700K winning every test by half a percent or less. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-10700K scores 1585 against 1576, a 0.6% win. The R15 singlecore test is similarly close, with 223 versus 222, a 0.5% margin. R20 multicore sees 6605 versus 6570, another 0.5% edge for the i7-10700K. The R20 singlecore test shows 932 versus 927, and R23 multicore shows 15727 versus 15645, both with a 0.5% difference. R23 singlecore is 2220 versus 2208, also a 0.5% margin. These results indicate that in standard rendering workloads, the two processors are effectively interchangeable despite their architectural differences.

The PassMark suite reveals the true performance split. The i7-10700K's biggest win is in integer math, where it scores 66642 versus 38889, a massive 71.4% advantage. Data compression is nearly as dominant, with 295418 versus 176532, a 67.3% gap. Random string sorting shows 36633 versus 21585, a 69.7% lead for the i7-10700K. Extended instructions favor the i7-10700K by 26.1%, with scores of 19387 versus 15377. The multithreaded PassMark test is much closer, with the i7-10700K scoring 18609 versus 18407, a 1.1% win.

The Ultra 5 238V dominates in several key areas. Its PassMark single-thread score of 3890 versus 3043 represents a 21.8% advantage, and the identical passmark_singlethread test confirms this margin. Floating-point math shows the Ultra 5 winning 53160 versus 41306, a 22.3% lead. The prime number finding test is a blowout, with the Ultra 5 scoring 174 versus 55, a 68.4% advantage. Physics calculations favor the Ultra 5 by 39.7%, with 1546 versus 933. Data encryption sees the Ultra 5 score 13072 against 6468, a 50.5% margin. These results paint a clear picture: the i7-10700K wins on raw integer throughput and legacy workloads, while the Ultra 5 238V wins on single-threaded speed, floating-point math, and specialized instruction paths. The overall average benchmarks are nearly identical, with the i7-10700K at 22230 and the Ultra 5 238V at 21981, a difference of just over 1%, making this a genuine toss-up depending on the workload.