Intel Core i9-14900 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison

The Intel Core i9-14900 and Intel Core Ultra 5 225T occupy different ends of the desktop spectrum, and the recorded benchmark data reflects a clear performance hierarchy. The i9-14900, a 24-core Raptor Lake part, dominates in multi-threaded workloads, while the Ultra 5 225T, a 10-core Arrow Lake chip, shows unexpected strength in specific single-thread tasks. The database shows a decisive overall victory for the i9-14900, which secures 13 wins across the head-to-head tests, against 4 for the Ultra 5 225T.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result in the entire comparison is in PassMark integer math. The Core i9-14900 scores 175010 against 59543 for the Ultra 5 225T, a delta of 193.9%. This workload relies heavily on raw core count and aggressive scheduling, where the i9's 24 cores and 32 threads simply overwhelm the Ultra 5's 10 cores and 10 threads.

Data compression shows a similar pattern. The i9-14900 posts 550271 in PassMark data compression, beating the Ultra 5 225T's 233998 by 135.2%. Random string sorting follows with a 112.2% advantage for the i9-14900 (61060 versus 28774). These are parallel-friendly tasks, and the thread count gap dictates the outcome.

Cinebench R15 multicore gives the i9-14900 a 116.5% lead (4793 versus 2214). The gap narrows in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i9-14900 wins by 72.4% (15910 versus 9227), and further in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the lead is 41.4% (31070 versus 21971). The scaling across Cinebench versions suggests that newer workloads are less dependent on raw thread count, but the i9-14900 remains firmly ahead.

The i9-14900 also leads in PassMark multithread by 75.8% (44578 versus 25358), data encryption by 83.4% (33540 versus 18289), and extended instructions by 52.5% (30624 versus 20083). Floating point math shows a 45.3% advantage for the i9-14900 (120262 versus 82751), and physics scores favor it by 21.1% (2486 versus 2053).

The Ultra 5 225T takes its most significant win in Cinebench R23 singlecore. It scores 3101 against 2212 for the i9-14900, a 28.7% advantage. This is a notable reversal, given that the i9-14900 wins Cinebench R15 singlecore by just 1% (315 versus 312) and Cinebench R20 singlecore by 72.4% (2245 versus 1302). The R20 singlecore result is an outlier in the i9's favor, while the R23 result suggests the Arrow Lake architecture has a real single-thread efficiency edge.

The Ultra 5 225T also wins PassMark find prime numbers, scoring 284 against 188, a 33.8% advantage. PassMark singlethread is nearly identical: 4348 for the Ultra 5 225T versus 4323 for the i9-14900, a 0.6% margin. The two chips are effectively tied in this metric.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900 wins 13 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins 4.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the comparison?

A: PassMark integer math shows the biggest delta. The i9-14900 scores 175010, which is 193.9% higher than the Ultra 5 225T's 59543.

Q: Does the Core Ultra 5 225T beat the i9-14900 in any meaningful workload?

A: Yes. The Ultra 5 225T leads in Cinebench R23 singlecore by 28.7% (3101 versus 2212) and in PassMark find prime numbers by 33.8% (284 versus 188). It also edges out the i9-14900 in PassMark singlethread by 0.6% (4348 versus 4323).

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i9-14900 has an average benchmark score of 58115, while the Ultra 5 225T averages 30468. The i9-14900 ranks in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, and the Ultra 5 225T ranks in the 82nd.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The i9-14900 boosts to 5.80 GHz, while the Ultra 5 225T boosts to 4.90 GHz. Both have a 65 W TDP.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: No. The multiplier is locked on both the i9-14900 and the Ultra 5 225T.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent distinct Intel design eras. The i9-14900 uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. The Ultra 5 225T uses the Arrow Lake architecture, codenamed Arrow Lake-S, fabricated by TSMC on a 3 nm node. The foundry shift is a major divergence: Intel for the i9-14900, TSMC for the Ultra 5 225T.

Core counts differ sharply. The i9-14900 has 24 cores and 32 threads. The Ultra 5 225T has 10 cores and 10 threads, meaning no hyperthreading is present. The cache hierarchy also differs. The i9-14900 uses 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 5 225T uses 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. The smaller L3 on the Ultra 5 225T is offset by larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations.

The process node and cache layout explain some of the benchmark behavior. The Ultra 5 225T's larger per-core caches and newer node contribute to its single-thread wins, while the i9-14900's massive core and thread count drives its multi-thread dominance.

Memory support diverges as well. The i9-14900 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 5 225T supports DDR5 only. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Ultra 5 225T lists a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s; no bandwidth figure is recorded for the i9-14900. ECC memory is supported on the i9-14900 but not on the Ultra 5 225T.

PCIe lane counts differ. The i9-14900 provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The Ultra 5 225T provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ: the i9-14900 uses UHD Graphics 770, while the Ultra 5 225T uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU.

Sockets are incompatible. The i9-14900 uses Intel Socket 1700, and the Ultra 5 225T uses Intel Socket 1851. The die size is 257 mm² for the i9-14900 and 243 mm² for the Ultra 5 225T. The transistor count for the Ultra 5 225T is 17,800 million; no transistor count is recorded for the i9-14900.

The release dates also differ. The i9-14900 launched on 2024-01-07, and the Ultra 5 225T launched on 2024-12-31. The i9-14900 has a launch MSRP of $549; no launch MSRP is recorded for the Ultra 5 225T.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Core i9-14900 for multi-threaded and mixed workloads. It leads in 13 of 17 head-to-head tests, including massive margins in integer math (193.9%), data compression (135.2%), random string sorting (112.2%), and Cinebench R15 multicore (116.5%). Its average benchmark score of 58115 places it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (0.4% behind) and the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (0.5% behind). For users running heavily parallel tasks, the i9-14900 is the stronger choice.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T is not without merit. Its Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 3101 beats the i9-14900 by 28.7%, and its PassMark find prime numbers score of 284 beats the i9-14900 by 33.8%. Its PassMark singlethread score of 4348 is marginally ahead of the i9-14900's 4323. These results indicate a modern architecture with strong per-core efficiency, but the Ultra 5 225T's average score of 30468 and 82nd percentile ranking place it in a different performance class. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-11980HK (0.2% ahead) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS (0.3% ahead), are mobile or older parts, not desktop flagships.

The verdict depends on workload priorities. The i9-14900 is the pick for rendering, compilation, compression, and any task that scales with threads. The Ultra 5 225T is the pick for single-thread-sensitive tasks where its 3 nm node and larger per-core cache deliver measurable wins. The data does not support the Ultra 5 225T as a general replacement for the i9-14900, but it does show that Intel's newer architecture has closed the single-thread gap and exceeded it in specific tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across every major specification category. The i9-14900 has 24 cores and 32 threads; the Ultra 5 225T has 10 cores and 10 threads. Base clocks are 2.00 GHz for the i9-14900 and 2.50 GHz for the Ultra 5 225T. Boost clocks are 5.80 GHz and 4.90 GHz, respectively. Both have a 65 W TDP.

The i9-14900 uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm node from Intel. The Ultra 5 225T uses the Arrow Lake architecture on a 3 nm node from TSMC. The i9-14900 has an L1 cache of 80 KB per core, L2 of 2 MB per core, and L3 of 36 MB shared. The Ultra 5 225T has L1 of 192 KB per core, L2 of 3 MB per core, and L3 of 20 MB shared.

Memory support differs: the i9-14900 supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 5 225T supports DDR5 only. Both use dual-channel memory. The Ultra 5 225T records a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s; the i9-14900 does not have a recorded bandwidth figure. ECC memory is supported on the i9-14900 but not on the Ultra 5 225T.

PCIe support differs: the i9-14900 has Gen 5 with 16 lanes, and the Ultra 5 225T has Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770 on the i9-14900 and Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU on the Ultra 5 225T. The i9-14900 uses Intel Socket 1700; the Ultra 5 225T uses Intel Socket 1851. The die size is 257 mm² for the i9-14900 and 243 mm² for the Ultra 5 225T. Transistor count is 17,800 million for the Ultra 5 225T, with no figure recorded for the i9-14900. The i9-14900 launched on 2024-01-07 with a launch MSRP of $549; the Ultra 5 225T launched on 2024-12-31 with no launch MSRP recorded.