Intel Core i9-14900 vs Intel Core Ultra X7 358H Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data splits these two Intel processors cleanly by workload class. The Intel Core i9-14900 wins 15 of the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with its largest margins in multi-threaded and integer-heavy tasks. The Intel Core Ultra X7 358H wins only two tests, both in PassMark sub-tests, and those wins are substantial. For users prioritizing raw throughput, rendering, compression, and encryption, the i9-14900 is the clear choice. For workloads involving prime number generation and physics simulations, the Ultra X7 358H shows a measurable edge. The i9-14900 also holds a higher overall percentile ranking, sitting at the 92nd percentile versus the Ultra X7's 87th, and its average benchmark score of 58115 is roughly 42% higher than the Ultra X7's 40967. The nearest rival data places the i9-14900 within 1% of several Xeon and EPYC parts, while the Ultra X7 sits within 0.7% of other mobile chips like the Core Ultra 7 356H and AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440. These two processors are not direct substitutes; the desktop i9-14900 dominates sustained multi-core work, while the mobile Ultra X7 delivers a different balance with a much lower power envelope and a newer process node.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split is significant. The i9-14900 uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, built for the desktop Socket 1700 platform. It packs 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its thermal design point is 65 W. The Ultra X7 358H, by contrast, uses the Panther Lake architecture on a 3 nm process, which is a much denser node. It is a mobile part on Intel BGA 2540, with 16 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 1.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, and a 25 W TDP. The process node difference alone explains a large part of the efficiency gap. The i9-14900 has a die size of 257 mm², while the Ultra X7's die size is not recorded. Cache layouts differ substantially as well. The i9-14900 offers 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The Ultra X7 provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, but only 18 MB of shared L3. That means the Ultra X7 has more per-core cache but half the total L3. Memory support diverges: the i9-14900 supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, while the Ultra X7 supports only LPDDR5X, also dual-channel, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s. The i9-14900 supports ECC memory, the Ultra X7 does not. PCIe lanes also differ, with the i9-14900 offering Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes and the Ultra X7 offering Gen 5 with only 4 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics differ, with the i9-14900 using UHD Graphics 770 and the Ultra X7 using Arc B390. The i9-14900 has a launch MSRP of $549; the Ultra X7 has no recorded MSRP. Both processors have locked multipliers, and both are listed as active production parts.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900 has 24 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core Ultra X7 358H has 16 cores and 16 threads.

Q: How do the boost clocks compare?

A: The i9-14900 boosts to 5.80 GHz, while the Ultra X7 358H boosts to 4.80 GHz. The base clocks are 2.00 GHz and 1.90 GHz, respectively.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The i9-14900 has 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra X7 358H has 18 MB of shared L3 cache, although it provides more L1 and L2 cache per core.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The i9-14900 supports ECC memory. The Ultra X7 358H does not.

Q: Which processor has a higher overall benchmark percentile?

A: The i9-14900 ranks in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. The Ultra X7 358H ranks in the 87th percentile.

Q: What are the memory support differences?

A: The i9-14900 supports DDR4 and DDR5. The Ultra X7 358H supports only LPDDR5X, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the i9-14900 comes in PassMark integer math, where it scores 175010 against the Ultra X7's 83147, a 110.5% advantage. This more than doubles the mobile chip's score. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9-14900 hits 31070 versus 18747, a 65.7% lead. PassMark data compression also shows a 65.5% gap, with scores of 550271 and 332508. Cinebench R15 multi-core is close behind at 58.3% (4793 vs 3027). Random string sorting shows a 51.3% edge for the desktop part, scoring 61060 against 40357. Cinebench R20 multi-core favors the i9-14900 by 32.5% (15910 vs 12011), and PassMark multi-thread shows a 31.9% gap (44578 vs 33802). Data encryption results in a 28.8% lead (33540 vs 26046). Floating point math favors the i9-14900 by 15.8% (120262 vs 103842). Extended instructions show a 12.3% edge (30624 vs 27274). Single-core tests are much closer. Cinebench R23 single-core gives the i9-14900 only a 6.3% lead (2212 vs 2080). PassMark single-thread shows a 4.8% gap (4323 vs 4124), as does Cinebench R15 single-core (315 vs 301.5). Cinebench R20 single-core is a 32.4% win for the i9-14900 (2245 vs 1695), which is a notable outlier in the single-core group.

The Ultra X7 358H wins two tests. PassMark find prime numbers shows a 337 score versus 188 for the i9-14900, a 44.2% advantage for the mobile chip. PassMark physics gives the Ultra X7 a 3021 score against 2486, a 17.7% lead. These two wins are isolated but consistent: the Ultra X7 handles prime number generation and physics calculations markedly better.

Where Each One Wins

The i9-14900 dominates every multi-core rendering workload recorded. Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests all show substantial leads, ranging from 32.5% to 65.7%. This makes it the stronger choice for any workload that scales with core count and threads, particularly given its 24 cores and 32 threads versus the Ultra X7's 16 cores and 16 threads. The desktop part also wins decisively in integer math, data compression, random string sorting, and encryption, which are common in database, archival, and security-adjacent tasks. Its floating point advantage of 15.8% and extended instructions advantage of 12.3% confirm broader compute superiority. The i9-14900 also wins all single-core tests except one, with margins between 4.5% and 32.4%, so it holds the edge even in lightly threaded scenarios.

The Ultra X7 358H wins specifically in prime number generation and physics simulation. The 44.2% lead in PassMark find prime numbers and the 17.7% lead in PassMark physics indicate that this architecture, with its larger per-core L1 and L2 caches, handles these particular algorithms more efficiently. These are not broad wins, but they are real and repeatable in the recorded data. Additionally, the Ultra X7 operates at a 25 W TDP versus 65 W for the i9-14900, and it uses a 3 nm process to the i9-14900's 10 nm, which positions it for thermally constrained environments. For mobile platforms where power draw and heat output are primary constraints, the Ultra X7's efficiency profile is a clear advantage, even if its raw scores are lower.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The i9-14900 uses 24 cores and 32 threads; the Ultra X7 uses 16 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 2.00 GHz and 1.90 GHz, respectively, while boost clocks are 5.80 GHz and 4.80 GHz. TDP is a major split: 65 W for the i9-14900 versus 25 W for the Ultra X7. The socket changes completely, from Intel Socket 1700 to Intel BGA 2540. The process node moves from 10 nm to 3 nm. Cache differs in all three levels: L1 is 80 KB per core versus 192 KB per core, L2 is 2 MB per core versus 3 MB per core, and L3 is 36 MB shared versus 18 MB shared. Memory support is DDR4/DDR5 for the i9-14900 and LPDDR5X for the Ultra X7, with the latter recording a 153.6 GB/s memory bandwidth figure. ECC memory is supported on the i9-14900 only. PCIe lanes differ at Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes for the i9-14900 and Gen 5 with 4 CPU lanes for the Ultra X7. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770 versus Arc B390. The market segment is Desktop for the i9-14900 and Mobile for the Ultra X7. Release dates are January 2024 for the i9-14900 and January 2026 for the Ultra X7. The i9-14900 carries a launch MSRP of $549, while the Ultra X7 has no recorded MSRP. Both have locked multipliers, and both are active production parts.