Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T and the Intel Core i9-11980HK occupy nearly the same spot in the overall performance hierarchy, with average benchmark scores of 30,468 and 30,422, respectively—a difference of just 0.2 percent. Yet the data reveals two very different processors with distinct strengths and weaknesses. The Ultra 5 225T, a desktop part from the Core Ultra Series 2, wins 14 of 17 head-to-head comparisons, while the mobile i9-11980HK, from Intel's 11th Gen Core family, takes three decisive victories in specific workloads. Here is how the numbers break down.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the benchmark data is the Ultra 5 225T's dominance in single-threaded and floating-point workloads. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Ultra 5 scores 3,101 against the i9's 2,628, a lead of 18 percent. That gap is consistent across the entire Cinebench suite: R15 single-core shows 312 versus 264 (18.2 percent), R20 single-core shows 1,302 versus 1,103 (18 percent), and R15 multicore shows 2,214 versus 1,876 (18 percent). The multicore Cinebench results tell the same story—R20 at 9,227 versus 7,819 and R23 at 21,971 versus 18,617, both 18 percent ahead.

PassMark's single-thread test shows an even larger advantage: 4,348 versus 3,261, a 33.3 percent margin. The Ultra 5 also crushes the i9 in PassMark physics, scoring 2,053 to 1,112—an 84.6 percent difference—and in floating-point math, where it posts 82,751 versus 46,262, a 78.9 percent lead. The prime number test is the most lopsided of all: 284 versus 100, a 184 percent win for the Ultra 5.

The i9-11980HK's wins are narrower but meaningful. It leads in PassMark data compression, 266,571 to 233,998, a 12.2 percent margin. In integer math, it scores 78,682 against the Ultra 5's 59,543, a 24.3 percent advantage. And in random string sorting, it edges ahead at 31,709 versus 28,774, a 9.3 percent gain. The i9 also wins the multithread PassMark test, but the margin is small: 22,436 versus 25,358 actually favors the Ultra 5, so the i9's only PassMark multithread victory comes through its 16 threads in other tests—the data shows the Ultra 5 ahead here by 13 percent.

Where Each One Wins

The Ultra 5 225T is the clear choice for compute-heavy, parallel floating-point work. Its 78.9 percent lead in floating-point math and 84.6 percent lead in physics benchmarks suggest strong vector and SIMD execution. The 184 percent margin in prime number finding points to superior integer throughput in algorithmic workloads. For single-threaded responsiveness, the 33.3 percent PassMark single-thread win makes it the better option for latency-sensitive applications. Data encryption also favors the Ultra 5 by 32.4 percent, which matters for security-focused tasks.

The i9-11980HK's strengths lie in specific memory-bound or integer-heavy operations. Its 24.3 percent win in integer math indicates strong general-purpose integer execution, and its 12.2 percent lead in data compression suggests efficient handling of data movement and pattern matching. The 9.3 percent edge in random string sorting further supports a profile suited to sorting and database-style workloads. These are narrow wins, however, and the i9's overall percentile ranking of 81 against the Ultra 5's 82 shows they sit at nearly the same level despite the different victory distributions.

Architecture Differences

The two chips represent fundamentally different design philosophies separated by several generations. The Ultra 5 225T uses Arrow Lake architecture on a 3 nm TSMC process node, packing 17,800 million transistors into a 243 mm² die. The i9-11980HK uses Tiger Lake on Intel's 10 nm process with a 190 mm² die size and no transistor count listed. The Ultra 5's 10 cores and 10 threads operate without hyperthreading, while the i9 pairs 8 cores with 16 threads for a higher thread count.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The Ultra 5 has 192 KB of L1 per core and 3 MB of L2 per core, with 20 MB of shared L3. The i9 has 80 KB L1 per core and 1.25 MB L2 per core, but a larger 24 MB of shared L3. The i9's smaller per-core caches but larger shared pool reflects a design tuned for thread-heavy workloads, while the Ultra 5's larger per-core allocation favors single-thread performance.

Memory support marks a significant architectural split. The Ultra 5 uses DDR5 with dual-channel memory and 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The i9 uses DDR4, also dual-channel, but with only 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth—half the Ultra 5's theoretical ceiling. PCIe also differs: the Ultra 5 supports Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes, while the i9 supports Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

Specification Differences

The specification table highlights several practical differences beyond performance. The Ultra 5 225T has a 65 W TDP versus the i9's 45 W TDP, reflecting its desktop positioning. The Ultra 5 sits in Intel Socket 1851, while the i9 uses Intel BGA 1787 for mobile integration. The Ultra 5 is a desktop part; the i9 is mobile. The Ultra 5's base clock is 2.50 GHz with a 4.90 GHz boost; the i9 clocks slightly higher at 2.60 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost.

The Ultra 5 uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 execution units; the i9 integrates UHD Graphics 750. Neither supports ECC memory. The Ultra 5 has a locked multiplier, while the i9 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. The i9 has a known part number (SRKSZ) and launched with an MSRP of $583; the Ultra 5's launch MSRP is not listed. The i9 is end-of-life, while the Ultra 5 remains active in production. The i9 released in May 2021, while the Ultra 5's release date is December 2024.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T scores 30,468 on average, while the Intel Core i9-11980HK scores 30,422. The Ultra 5 leads by 0.2 percent.

Q: How much faster is the Ultra 5 in single-threaded performance?

A: In PassMark single-thread testing, the Ultra 5 scores 4,348 versus the i9's 3,261, a 33.3 percent advantage. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the margin is 18 percent (3,101 versus 2,628).

Q: Does the i9-11980HK win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins three: PassMark data compression (266,571 versus 233,998, a 12.2 percent lead), PassMark integer math (78,682 versus 59,543, a 24.3 percent lead), and PassMark random string sorting (31,709 versus 28,774, a 9.3 percent lead).

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark's find prime numbers test, where the Ultra 5 scores 284 against the i9's 100, a 184 percent difference.

Q: How do their memory systems differ?

A: The Ultra 5 supports DDR5 with 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the i9 supports DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Which chip has more cores and threads?

A: The Ultra 5 has 10 cores and 10 threads. The i9-11980HK has 8 cores and 16 threads, so the i9 has more threads despite fewer cores.