Intel Core i7-14700KF vs Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data splits these two processors into distinct personalities. The Intel Core i7-14700KF wins 8 of the 19 recorded tests, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX takes 11. The margins, however, tell a more nuanced story than the win count.

The i7-14700KF delivers its most decisive victory in Cinebench R23 single-core, scoring 6235 against the Ultra 9's 2204, a commanding 182.9% advantage. The gap repeats in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i7 posts 628 versus 334, an 88% lead. These are not close contests; the desktop part simply overwhelms the mobile chip in lightly threaded rendering workloads.

Multi-core Cinebench results are split. The i7-14700KF wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with 44167 points, a 24.1% margin over the Ultra 9's 35589. Yet the Ultra 9 flips the script in Cinebench R15 multi-core, scoring 5619.5 against 4452, a 20.8% advantage, and in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where it posts 19899 versus 18550, a 6.8% lead. The older Cinebench versions favor the Ultra 9, while the newer R23 workload favors the i7.

Geekbench results lean toward the desktop chip. The i7-14700KF scores 21462 multi-core and 2578 single-core, beating the Ultra 9's 20795 and 2458 by 3.2% and 4.9%, respectively. These are modest margins, indicating comparable general-purpose performance despite the architectural gulf.

The Passmark suite reveals the Ultra 9's strengths in specialized computational tasks. It wins floating-point math with 191186 against 134393, a 29.7% margin, and find-prime-numbers with 448 versus 212, a 52.7% advantage. Data encryption also favors the Ultra 9, scoring 47112 versus 40046, a 15% lead, while extended instructions go its way at 47016 versus 40660, a 13.5% margin. Physics simulation and multi-threaded Passmark scores also favor the Ultra 9, with 3338 versus 2961 (11.3%) and 55759 versus 52425 (6%), respectively.

The i7-14700KF counters in integer math, scoring 183056 against 155218, a 17.9% advantage, and data compression with 694963 versus 608381, a 14.2% lead. Random string sorting is nearly identical, with the i7 ahead by just 0.5% (74723 versus 74320). Single-thread Passmark scores slightly favor the Ultra 9 at 4713 versus 4480, a 4.9% difference, which contradicts the Cinebench single-core results and highlights how workload-specific these comparisons are.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design eras. The i7-14700KF uses Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process fabricated by Intel, while the Ultra 9 275HX uses Arrow Lake on a 3 nm process fabricated by TSMC. The Ultra 9's transistor count is listed at 17,800 million, and its die size measures 243 mm²; the i7's die is slightly larger at 257 mm².

Core and thread counts differ fundamentally. The i7-14700KF offers 20 cores and 28 threads, meaning it uses hyper-threading to reach that thread count. The Ultra 9 275HX has 24 cores and 24 threads, indicating a design without hyper-threading. Despite having fewer cores, the i7 still wins several multi-threaded tests, suggesting its higher clock speeds matter more in certain workloads.

Clock speeds favor the desktop chip. The i7 runs at a 3.40 GHz base and 5.60 GHz boost, while the Ultra 9 runs at 2.70 GHz base and 5.40 GHz boost. The power envelope diverges sharply: the i7 carries a 125 W TDP, while the Ultra 9 is rated at 55 W, reflecting its mobile positioning.

Cache hierarchies differ as well. The i7 uses 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 33 MB shared L3. The Ultra 9 uses 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 36 MB shared L3. The Ultra 9's larger per-core caches and slightly larger L3 pool do not translate into universal performance wins.

Memory support separates the two. The i7 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory, while the Ultra 9 supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, with a rated bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The i7 supports ECC memory; the Ultra 9 does not. PCIe connectivity also differs: the i7 provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Ultra 9 provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only).

The Ultra 9 includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units; the i7-14700KF has no integrated graphics listed. Socket compatibility is entirely different: the i7 uses Intel Socket 1700 for desktop builds, while the Ultra 9 uses Intel BGA 2114, a soldered mobile package. The i7 launched on 2023-10-16 with a launch MSRP of $384; the Ultra 9 launched on 2025-01-12 with no MSRP recorded. Both have unlocked multipliers and both remain in active production.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: It depends on the benchmark. The i7-14700KF dominates Cinebench single-core tests, winning R23 by 182.9% and R15 by 88%. However, the Ultra 9 275HX wins Passmark single-thread by 4.9% (4713 versus 4480). The i7 also wins Geekbench single-core by 4.9% (2578 versus 2458).

Q: How do the two compare in multi-core workloads?

A: The results are mixed. The i7-14700KF wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 24.1% (44167 versus 35589) and Geekbench multi-core by 3.2% (21462 versus 20795). The Ultra 9 wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 20.8% (5619.5 versus 4452), Cinebench R20 multi-core by 6.8% (19899 versus 18550), and Passmark multi-thread by 6% (55759 versus 52425).

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The i7-14700KF has 20 cores and 28 threads. The Ultra 9 275HX has 24 cores and 24 threads. The i7 achieves its higher thread count through hyper-threading, while the Ultra 9 does not use that feature.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Only the i7-14700KF supports ECC memory. The Ultra 9 275HX does not list ECC support.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: The Ultra 9 275HX includes Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. The i7-14700KF has no integrated graphics listed in the database.

Q: What memory types does each support?

A: The i7-14700KF supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel configuration. The Ultra 9 275HX supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split by use case rather than an overall winner. The i7-14700KF is the stronger choice for rendering workloads that resemble Cinebench R23, integer-heavy computation, and data compression. Its 24.1% win in R23 multi-core and 17.9% win in Passmark integer math demonstrate real advantages in those areas. It also leads in Geekbench multi-core and single-core, suggesting broadly competitive general performance despite its older architecture.

The Ultra 9 275HX is the better pick for floating-point math, encryption, and prime-number finding. Its 29.7% lead in Passmark floating-point math and 52.7% lead in find-prime-numbers are substantial. It also wins Passmark physics, multi-thread, and single-thread tests. The mobile chip achieves these results at a 55 W TDP versus the i7's 125 W TDP, which is a significant efficiency advantage.

The i7-14700KF sits at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163. The Ultra 9 275HX also sits at the 94th percentile, with an average score of 67469. The i7's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% behind), and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.9% behind), with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 1% ahead. The Ultra 9's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (0.3% ahead), AMD EPYC 4484PX (0.5% ahead), and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (0.6% ahead), with the Intel Xeon 6515P 0.7% behind. Both chips compete in similar performance tiers despite their different form factors.

Desktop builders who prioritize single-core Cinebench performance and integer workloads should choose the i7-14700KF. Mobile users or those building around a soldered BGA platform who need floating-point throughput and encryption speed should choose the Ultra 9 275HX.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification category. The i7-14700KF uses Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm Intel process, while the Ultra 9 275HX uses Arrow Lake on a 3 nm TSMC process. The i7 has 20 cores and 28 threads; the Ultra 9 has 24 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks are 3.40 GHz for the i7 and 2.70 GHz for the Ultra 9. Boost clocks are 5.60 GHz and 5.40 GHz, respectively. TDP is 125 W for the i7 and 55 W for the Ultra 9.

The i7 uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 9 uses Intel BGA 2114. L1 cache is 80 KB per core for the i7 and 192 KB per core for the Ultra 9. L2 cache is 2 MB per core for the i7 and 3 MB per core for the Ultra 9. L3 cache is 33 MB shared for the i7 and 36 MB shared for the Ultra 9. The i7 supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory; the Ultra 9 supports only DDR5. The Ultra 9 lists 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth; the i7 lists none. ECC memory is supported by the i7 but not the Ultra 9. PCIe lanes are Gen 5 with 16 lanes for the i7 and Gen 5 with 20 lanes for the Ultra 9. The Ultra 9 includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units; the i7 has none listed.

The i7 has a launch MSRP of $384, while the Ultra 9 has no recorded MSRP. Both have unlocked multipliers. The transistor count is listed only for the Ultra 9 at 17,800 million. Die size is 257 mm² for the i7 and 243 mm² for the Ultra 9. The i7's part number is SRN3Y, and the Ultra 9's is SRVFK.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-14700KF wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core (44167 versus 35589, 24.1% ahead), Cinebench R23 single-core (6235 versus 2204, 182.9% ahead), Cinebench R15 single-core (628 versus 334, 88% ahead), Geekbench multi-core (21462 versus 20795, 3.2% ahead), Geekbench single-core (2578 versus 2458, 4.9% ahead), Passmark data compression (694963 versus 608381, 14.2% ahead), Passmark integer math (183056 versus 155218, 17.9% ahead), and Passmark random string sorting (74723 versus 74320, 0.5% ahead).

The Ultra 9 275HX wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core (5619.5 versus 4452, 20.8% ahead), Cinebench R20 multi-core (19899 versus 18550, 6.8% ahead), Cinebench R20 single-core (2809 versus 2618, 6.8% ahead), Passmark data encryption (47112 versus 40046, 15% ahead), Passmark extended instructions (47016 versus 40660, 13.5% ahead), Passmark find prime numbers (448 versus 212, 52.7% ahead), Passmark floating-point math (191186 versus 134393, 29.7% ahead), Passmark multi-thread (55759 versus 52425, 6% ahead), Passmark physics (3338 versus 2961, 11.3% ahead), Passmark single-thread (4713 versus 4480, 4.9% ahead), and Passmark singlethread (4713 versus 4480, 4.9% ahead).

The pattern is clear: the i7 excels in integer-heavy and compression workloads plus the newer Cinebench R23 render test, while the Ultra 9 dominates floating-point math, encryption, and physics simulation. Users should match the workload profile to the chip. The i7-14700KF suits desktop rendering and compression tasks. The Ultra 9 275HX suits mobile platforms where floating-point throughput and power efficiency at 55 W TDP matter more.