Intel Core i7-14700KF vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a clear split between these two processors, with the Intel Core i7-14700KF taking 10 wins and the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus taking 7. The most dramatic margin comes in PassMark integer math, where the i7-14700KF scores 183,056 against 123,030 for the Ultra 5, a 48.8% advantage. That is the single largest delta in the entire head-to-head comparison, and it points to a fundamental difference in how these chips handle integer workloads.

Data compression tells a similar story, albeit less extreme. The i7-14700KF posts 694,963 in PassMark data compression versus 553,155 for the Ultra 5, a 25.6% lead. Random string sorting also favors the i7-14700KF, with 74,723 against 67,209, a difference of 11.2%. The multithreaded PassMark score shows a 4.5% edge for the older chip, 52,425 versus 50,146.

The Cinebench suite is uniformly favorable to the i7-14700KF, with the same 3.4% margin across every multi-core test. The R23 multi-core score is 44,167 versus 42,718, while R20 shows 18,550 against 17,941, and R15 shows 4,452 against 4,305. Single-core Cinebench results are also close, with the i7-14700KF leading by 3.5% in R15 (628 versus 607) and 3.4% in both R20 (2,618 versus 2,532) and R23 (6,235 versus 6,030).

The Ultra 5 250KF Plus fights back in a different set of workloads. Its most striking victory is in PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 452 against just 212 for the i7-14700KF, a 53.1% advantage. Floating point math also goes decisively to the Ultra 5, with 159,824 versus 134,393, a 15.9% lead. Extended instructions favor the Ultra 5 by 5.2%, with 42,880 against 40,660. Data encryption shows a 3% edge for the Ultra 5 (41,292 versus 40,046), and physics simulation favors it by 7%, with 3,183 versus 2,961. Single-thread PassMark also goes to the Ultra 5, 4,698 versus 4,480, a 4.6% margin that appears in both the single_thread and singlethread entries.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent opposite ends of Intel's design philosophy. The i7-14700KF uses the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry. It packs 20 cores and 28 threads, a hybrid configuration that leverages both performance and efficiency cores. The die size is 257 mm². The Ultra 5 250KF Plus, by contrast, uses the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has 18 cores and 18 threads, meaning every core is a full thread, with no hyperthreading. The die is slightly smaller at 243 mm², and the transistor count is listed at 17,800 million.

Cache layouts differ substantially. The i7-14700KF offers 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 5 provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. The newer chip has larger per-core caches but less total L3. The socket changes too, with the i7-14700KF on Intel Socket 1700 and the Ultra 5 on Intel Socket 1851, making them incompatible with the same motherboards.

Memory support splits cleanly along generational lines. The i7-14700KF supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 5 supports DDR5 only. Both are dual-channel, but the Ultra 5 lists a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, a figure absent from the i7-14700KF record. PCIe connectivity also differs: the i7-14700KF provides Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Ultra 5 offers Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. ECC memory is supported on both. The i7-14700KF has no integrated graphics listed, and the Ultra 5 shows "N/A" for its iGPU as well.

Clock speeds tell a nuanced story. The i7-14700KF has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost of 5.60 GHz. The Ultra 5 starts higher at 4.20 GHz base but boosts slightly lower to 5.30 GHz. Both have unlocked multipliers, and both carry a TDP of 125 watts. The release dates are far apart, with the i7-14700KF arriving on October 16, 2023, and the Ultra 5 on March 10, 2026. The launch MSRP for the i7-14700KF is $384, and for the Ultra 5 it is $184.

The Verdict

The data points to a generational trade-off rather than a clear winner. The i7-14700KF dominates in integer math, data compression, random string sorting, and every Cinebench test. Its 48.8% lead in integer math and 25.6% lead in data compression suggest it is the stronger choice for workloads that rely on heavy integer arithmetic and compression algorithms. The 28 threads versus 18 threads likely drive much of this advantage, even though the Ultra 5 has a newer process node.

The Ultra 5 250KF Plus wins in floating point math, prime number finding, extended instructions, encryption, physics, and single-thread PassMark. Its 53.1% lead in finding prime numbers and 15.9% lead in floating point math indicate a different execution profile. The higher base clock of 4.20 GHz may explain part of the single-thread PassMark edge, where it beats the i7-14700KF by 4.6%. The larger per-core L1 and L2 caches on the Ultra 5 could also contribute to its efficiency in certain instruction patterns.

The nearest rival data places both chips in similar territory. The i7-14700KF sits at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,163, just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. The Ultra 5 sits at the 93rd percentile, with an average score of 66,159, 1.1% behind the AMD EPYC 4465P and 1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. The i7-14700KF has a higher overall average score by roughly 6%, which matches its lead in the majority of head-to-head tests.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has 20 cores and 28 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads.

Q: What is the difference in Cinebench R23 multi-core scores?

A: The i7-14700KF scores 44,167, while the Ultra 5 250KF Plus scores 42,718. The i7-14700KF leads by 3.4%.

Q: Where does the Ultra 5 250KF Plus have its biggest advantage?

A: In PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 452 versus 212 for the i7-14700KF, a 53.1% advantage.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the i7-14700KF and the Ultra 5 250KF Plus list ECC memory support as true.

Q: What process node does each processor use?

A: The i7-14700KF uses a 10 nm process at Intel. The Ultra 5 250KF Plus uses a 3 nm process at TSMC.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The i7-14700KF has a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The Ultra 5 250KF Plus has a boost clock of 5.30 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-14700KF is the pick for integer-heavy workloads. Its 48.8% lead in integer math and 25.6% lead in data compression make it the obvious choice for compression tools, database operations, and any task that processes large volumes of integer data. The 11.2% advantage in random string sorting reinforces this, suggesting text processing and data shuffling tasks will run faster. The 4.5% multithreaded PassMark lead and consistent 3.4% Cinebench margins across all versions show that traditional multi-core rendering and video encoding workloads also favor the i7-14700KF. With 28 threads versus 18, it simply has more parallel capacity for thread-hungry applications.

The Ultra 5 250KF Plus wins where floating point and specialized instruction efficiency matter. Its 53.1% lead in prime number finding indicates superior handling of algorithms with heavy modulo and division operations, which often appear in cryptography and number theory. The 15.9% floating point math advantage points to scientific simulations, 3D physics calculations, and certain financial modeling tasks. The 5.2% lead in extended instructions suggests better support for newer SIMD and vector instruction sets. The 7% physics win and 3% encryption win further reinforce the pattern: this chip excels at numerically intensive, instruction-diverse workloads. The 4.6% single-thread PassMark advantage also makes it the better choice for lightly threaded applications where raw single-core speed matters more than core count.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The i7-14700KF belongs to the Core 14th Gen series, while the Ultra 5 250KF Plus is in the Core Ultra Series 2. Core count is 20 versus 18, and thread count is 28 versus 18. Base clock is 3.40 GHz on the i7-14700KF and 4.20 GHz on the Ultra 5. Boost clock is 5.60 GHz versus 5.30 GHz. The socket changes from Intel Socket 1700 to Intel Socket 1851. Architecture goes from Raptor Lake-R to Arrow Lake Refresh, with the process node shifting from 10 nm at Intel to 3 nm at TSMC. The Ultra 5 has a listed transistor count of 17,800 million, which the i7-14700KF does not specify. Die size is 257 mm² versus 243 mm².

Cache specifications differ at every level. L1 is 80 KB per core on the i7-14700KF versus 192 KB per core on the Ultra 5. L2 is 2 MB per core versus 3 MB per core. L3 is 33 MB shared versus 30 MB shared. Memory support is DDR4 and DDR5 on the i7-14700KF versus DDR5 only on the Ultra 5. The Ultra 5 lists a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, while the i7-14700KF does not provide that figure. PCIe lanes are 16 on the i7-14700KF and 20 on the Ultra 5, both Gen 5. The launch MSRP is $384 for the i7-14700KF and $184 for the Ultra 5. Release dates are October 16, 2023, for the i7-14700KF and March 10, 2026, for the Ultra 5. Both processors have unlocked multipliers, a 125 W TDP, ECC support, and no integrated graphics.