Intel Core i7-14700HX vs Intel Core Ultra 9 386H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data splits these two mobile processors into clear roles. The Intel Core i7-14700HX wins 9 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H wins 8. The i7-14700HX dominates multi-threaded rendering workloads, while the Ultra 9 386H counters with superior performance in several specialized compute tasks.

The largest single margin in the entire comparison belongs to the i7-14700HX in PassMark integer math, where it scores 131296 against 87284 for the Ultra 9 386H, a 50.4% advantage. That is the defining gap between the two chips. The Core i7-14700HX also leads heavily in Cinebench R23 multi-core, posting 24595 versus 20547, a 19.7% difference. The same pattern appears in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the i7-14700HX scores 3812 against 3223, a lead of 18.3%. Data compression follows suit, with the i7-14700HX scoring 438539 versus 352365, a 24.5% margin. These four results establish the i7-14700HX as the clear choice for heavily parallel workloads.

The Ultra 9 386H takes its most dramatic win in PassMark find prime numbers, scoring 341 against 165, a 51.6% advantage. That is an unusual result, showing a fundamentally different execution efficiency in that specific workload. The Ultra 9 386H also wins PassMark physics, scoring 3028 versus 2252, a 25.6% margin. Floating point math goes to the Ultra 9 386H as well, 108527 versus 93836, a 13.5% lead. Extended instructions favor the Ultra 9 386H by 11.7%, with scores of 29138 and 25718. Single-thread tests also lean toward the Ultra 9 386H, which scores 4218 in PassMark single-thread against 3947, a 6.4% margin.

Several tests are close enough to be considered statistical near-ties. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows the i7-14700HX at 13059 versus 12820, a 1.9% margin. Cinebench R20 single-core also goes to the i7-14700HX by 1.9%, 1843 versus 1809. Cinebench R23 single-core is another narrow i7-14700HX win, 2103 versus 2071.5, a 1.5% gap. PassMark multi-thread goes to the i7-14700HX by 3.3%, 36566 versus 35399. Random string sorting favors the i7-14700HX by 15.2%, 48544 versus 42135. The only single-core test won by the Ultra 9 386H is Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 303.5 against 296, a 2.5% margin. Data encryption also goes to the Ultra 9 386H, 27150 versus 26092, a 3.9% lead.

The aggregate average benchmark score puts the i7-14700HX at 45953 and the Ultra 9 386H at 43210. The i7-14700HX sits at the 89th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the Ultra 9 386H sits at the 88th percentile. The nearest rivals for the i7-14700HX include the AMD EPYC 7303 at 45960 and the AMD EPYC 4364P at 45970, both essentially tied, plus the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46030 and the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 at 46062. The Ultra 9 386H sits closest to the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 at 43326, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 at 43431, and trails the Intel Core i9-12900 and i9-12900KF, which score higher by 0.7% and 0.9% respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core render score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700HX scores 24595, which is 19.7% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H score of 20547.

Q: Where does the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H beat the i7-14700HX by the largest percentage?

A: In the PassMark find prime numbers test, the Ultra 9 386H scores 341 against 165, a 51.6% advantage. It also wins physics, floating point math, extended instructions, data encryption, and single-thread tests.

Q: How do the two processors compare in overall database percentile?

A: The i7-14700HX ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and the Ultra 9 386H ranks in the 88th percentile. The i7-14700HX also has a higher average benchmark score of 45953 versus 43210.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The i7-14700HX has 20 cores and 28 threads. The Ultra 9 386H has 16 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor wins the single-thread PassMark test?

A: The Ultra 9 386H scores 4218, which is 6.4% higher than the i7-14700HX score of 3947. The Ultra 9 386H also wins Cinebench R15 single-core.

Q: Is the i7-14700HX ahead in data compression?

A: Yes, by a large margin. The i7-14700HX scores 438539 in PassMark data compression versus 352365 for the Ultra 9 386H, a 24.5% lead.

The Verdict

The data indicates two distinct priorities. The i7-14700HX is the stronger multi-threaded renderer. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core lead of 19.7% and integer math lead of 50.4% are decisive. For workloads that scale across many threads, including video encoding, 3D rendering, and data compression, the i7-14700HX delivers meaningfully higher scores. The i7-14700HX wins 9 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks and holds a higher average score of 45953 versus 43210.

The Ultra 9 386H is the better choice for single-thread responsiveness and specific compute tasks. It wins the PassMark single-thread test by 6.4%, physics by 25.6%, floating point math by 13.5%, and extended instructions by 11.7%. The 51.6% margin in prime number finding suggests superior efficiency in certain mathematical workloads. The Ultra 9 386H also does this within a 25 W TDP, while the i7-14700HX carries a 55 W TDP, and the Ultra 9 386H supports faster memory bandwidth at 115.2 GB/s.

Users who prioritize multi-core throughput should pick the i7-14700HX. Users who prioritize single-thread performance, specific math workloads, or lower power draw should pick the Ultra 9 386H.

Specification Differences

The i7-14700HX uses 20 cores and 28 threads, while the Ultra 9 386H uses 16 cores and 16 threads. Both have a base clock of 2.10 GHz, but the i7-14700HX boosts to 5.50 GHz, while the Ultra 9 386H boosts to 4.90 GHz. The i7-14700HX has a TDP of 55 W; the Ultra 9 386H has a TDP of 25 W. The i7-14700HX uses the Intel BGA 1964 socket, and the Ultra 9 386H uses the Intel BGA 2540 socket. The i7-14700HX has an unlocked multiplier; the Ultra 9 386H does not. The i7-14700HX supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the Ultra 9 386H supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X. The Ultra 9 386H has a recorded memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, while the i7-14700HX has no bandwidth figure recorded. The i7-14700HX supports ECC memory; the Ultra 9 386H does not. The i7-14700HX provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, and the Ultra 9 386H provides PCIe Gen 5 with 12 lanes. The i7-14700HX integrates UHD Graphics 770, and the Ultra 9 386H integrates Intel Xe3 Graphics. The i7-14700HX has a die size of 257 mm², and no die size is recorded for the Ultra 9 386H. The i7-14700HX released on 2024-01-07, and the Ultra 9 386H released on 2026-01-04.

Architecture Differences

The i7-14700HX is built on Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-HX refresh, and uses a 10 nm process node. The Ultra 9 386H is built on Panther Lake, specifically Panther Lake-H, and uses a 3 nm process node. Both are manufactured by Intel. The cache layouts differ substantially. The i7-14700HX has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 9 386H has 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-14700HX has a larger shared L3 pool, while the Ultra 9 386H has larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations. The i7-14700HX is part of the Core 14th Gen series, and the Ultra 9 386H is part of the Core Ultra Series 3. The i7-14700HX part number is SRMXG, and the Ultra 9 386H part number is SA4R5Q9EH. Both processors are marked as Active production status and target the Mobile market segment.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-14700HX wins in multi-core rendering. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 19.7% lead, and Cinebench R15 multi-core shows an 18.3% lead. Cinebench R20 multi-core is closer at 1.9%, but still favors the i7-14700HX. Integer math is the strongest i7-14700HX category, with a 50.4% margin. Data compression also favors the i7-14700HX by 24.5%. Random string sorting goes to the i7-14700HX by 15.2%. PassMark multi-thread goes to the i7-14700HX by 3.3%. Cinebench R20 single-core and Cinebench R23 single-core both go to the i7-14700HX by narrow margins of 1.9% and 1.5%.

The Ultra 9 386H wins in prime number finding by 51.6%, physics by 25.6%, floating point math by 13.5%, extended instructions by 11.7%, and PassMark single-thread by 6.4%. It also wins data encryption by 3.9% and Cinebench R15 single-core by 2.5%. The Ultra 9 386H achieves these wins with a 25 W TDP and higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The i7-14700HX remains the stronger overall average performer at 45953 versus 43210, but the Ultra 9 386H delivers superior efficiency in specific tasks and in single-threaded workloads.