Intel Core i7-14701TE vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225F Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a decisive overall victory for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225F, which takes 15 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The Intel Core i7-14701TE manages only two wins, both in the Cinebench suite, but those wins are substantial enough to matter in specific workloads.

The most dramatic gap appears in Cinebench R23 single-core. The i7-14701TE scores 2405 against the Ultra 5 225F's 1893, a 27% advantage for the older chip. This is the single largest percentage win for the i7-14701TE in any test. The R23 multi-core result also favors the i7-14701TE, with a 17035 score versus 16467, a 3.4% margin. These two results suggest the Raptor Lake part retains a meaningful edge in certain single-threaded and lightly threaded rendering tasks.

Every other benchmark favors the Ultra 5 225F, often by wide margins. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ultra 5 225F scores 2660 against 1716, a 35.5% lead. The R15 single-core test shows a 15.7% advantage (287 versus 242). The R20 tests are nearly identical in percentage terms: the Ultra 5 225F leads by 35.3% in multi-core (11059 versus 7154) and by 35.3% in single-core (1561 versus 1010).

PassMark results reinforce the pattern. The largest delta appears in the find prime numbers test, where the Ultra 5 225F scores 352 against 143, a 59.4% advantage. Extended instructions show a 48.8% lead (28027 versus 14354), and data encryption shows a 48.3% lead (22648 versus 11699). Floating point math favors the Ultra 5 225F by 45.7% (92554 versus 50219). Random string sorting shows a 39% gap (37325 versus 22760). Single-thread performance in PassMark shows a 40% lead for the Ultra 5 225F (4397 versus 2637), which is a stark contrast to the Cinebench R23 single-core result.

The closest contest in the entire dataset is PassMark integer math, where the Ultra 5 225F scores 66417 against 65792, a razor-thin 0.9% margin. This near-tie suggests the two processors have broadly similar integer throughput capabilities despite their architectural differences.

The remaining PassMark tests show consistent but smaller gaps. Data compression favors the Ultra 5 225F by 29.1% (310843 versus 220520). Multithread performance shows a 35.4% lead (31004 versus 20042). Physics tests show a 23.5% advantage (2430 versus 1860).

The average benchmark scores reflect this overall dominance. The Ultra 5 225F records an average score of 37313 across all tests, while the i7-14701TE averages 26013. This places the Ultra 5 225F at the 85th percentile among all CPUs in the database, compared to the 78th percentile for the i7-14701TE.

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database provides additional context. The i7-14701TE's average score of 26013 sits within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U (26187), 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS (26106), and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5655GE (25880). The Ultra 5 225F's average of 37313 sits within 0.5% of the Intel Core i7-13700 (37135) and the AMD Ryzen 7 160 (37117), and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HK (37425).

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F wins 15 of the 17 recorded comparisons. The Intel Core i7-14701TE wins only two, both in the Cinebench R23 tests.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two processors?

A: The largest margin is in the PassMark find prime numbers test. The Ultra 5 225F scores 352 against 143, a 59.4% advantage.

Q: Does the i7-14701TE win any benchmark by a large margin?

A: Yes, the i7-14701TE wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 27%, scoring 2405 versus 1893. It also wins R23 multi-core by 3.4%, scoring 17035 versus 16467.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Ultra 5 225F has an average benchmark score of 37313, while the i7-14701TE averages 26013. The Ultra 5 225F also ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, versus the 78th percentile for the i7-14701TE.

Q: Which processor has the closer competitive position relative to its nearest rivals?

A: Both processors sit very close to their nearest rivals. The i7-14701TE is within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U, while the Ultra 5 225F is within 0.5% of the Intel Core i7-13700.

Q: Are there any tests where the two processors are nearly identical?

A: Yes, PassMark integer math shows only a 0.9% difference. The Ultra 5 225F scores 66417, and the i7-14701TE scores 65792.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Core Ultra 5 225F for general-purpose computing. It wins the vast majority of benchmarks, often by substantial margins, and its average score of 37313 places it 43% above the i7-14701TE's 26013 average. The 85th percentile ranking versus 78th percentile further confirms its higher overall standing in the database.

The i7-14701TE has a narrow but real niche. Its 27% win in Cinebench R23 single-core and its 3.4% win in R23 multi-core indicate that certain rendering workloads, particularly those that scale with the Raptor Lake architecture's thread count and boost behavior, will run faster on the older chip. Users whose primary workload is Cinebench R23 or similar single-core-heavy rendering tasks should note this specific advantage.

For everything else, the Ultra 5 225F is the stronger choice based on recorded measurements. The PassMark suite, which covers data compression, encryption, extended instructions, floating point, integer math, multithreading, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread performance, shows consistent and often large advantages for the Ultra 5 225F. The 59.4% lead in prime number finding and the 48.8% lead in extended instructions are particularly pronounced.

The near-tie in integer math (0.9% difference) suggests that for integer-heavy workloads, the two processors perform essentially the same. The i7-14701TE's higher core count with hyper-threading (8 cores, 16 threads) does not translate into a multithread advantage in the PassMark multithread test, where the Ultra 5 225F leads by 35.4%.

The i7-14701TE also offers ECC memory support, which the Ultra 5 225F lacks. For users requiring ECC, the i7-14701TE is the only option between these two. The Ultra 5 225F supports only DDR5, while the i7-14701TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5, which may matter for platform flexibility.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every core specification. The i7-14701TE has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Ultra 5 225F has 10 cores and 10 threads. The i7-14701TE has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, while the Ultra 5 225F has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz.

Thermal design power differs significantly. The i7-14701TE is rated at 45 watts, while the Ultra 5 225F is rated at 65 watts. The sockets also differ: the i7-14701TE uses Intel Socket 1700, and the Ultra 5 225F uses Intel Socket 1851.

Memory support and bandwidth show clear differences. The i7-14701TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, while the Ultra 5 225F supports only DDR5. The Ultra 5 225F has a recorded memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s; the i7-14701TE does not have a recorded memory bandwidth figure. ECC memory support is present on the i7-14701TE but absent on the Ultra 5 225F.

PCIe lane counts also differ. The i7-14701TE provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Ultra 5 225F provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics situation is reversed: the i7-14701TE includes UHD Graphics 770, while the Ultra 5 225F has no integrated graphics (listed as N/A).

Release dates differ by roughly six months. The i7-14701TE was released in 2024-06-30, and the Ultra 5 225F was released in 2025-01-06. The Ultra 5 225F has a launch MSRP of $231; the i7-14701TE has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The i7-14701TE uses the Raptor Lake architecture with the codename Raptor Lake-R, part of the Core 14th Gen series. The Ultra 5 225F uses the Arrow Lake architecture with the codename Arrow Lake-S, part of the Core Ultra Series 2.

The manufacturing process differs dramatically. The i7-14701TE is built on a 10 nm process at Intel's foundry, while the Ultra 5 225F is built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. The die sizes are similar: the i7-14701TE measures 257 mm², and the Ultra 5 225F measures 243 mm². The Ultra 5 225F has a recorded transistor count of 17,800 million; no transistor count is recorded for the i7-14701TE.

Cache structures are organized differently. The i7-14701TE has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 5 225F has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The L3 cache advantage clearly belongs to the i7-14701TE, which has 65% more shared L3 capacity.

The generation labels reflect the different product lines. The i7-14701TE is labeled as Core i7 (Raptor Lake Refresh), while the Ultra 5 225F is labeled as Ultra 5 (Arrow Lake). The Ultra 5 225F's 10 cores and 10 threads indicate a design without hyper-threading, while the i7-14701TE's 8 cores and 16 threads indicate a design with hyper-threading enabled.

The foundry difference (Intel versus TSMC) and the process node difference (10 nm versus 3 nm) represent a significant generational shift in manufacturing. The 3 nm TSMC process allows the Ultra 5 225F to achieve higher clock speeds at a higher TDP, while the i7-14701TE operates at a lower TDP of 45 watts. Both processors have locked multipliers, so neither supports unlocked overclocking.

The memory bandwidth figure of 102.4 GB/s for the Ultra 5 225F, combined with its DDR5-only support, indicates a platform built for newer memory technology. The i7-14701TE's dual DDR4/DDR5 support offers more flexibility for existing platforms but does not have a recorded bandwidth figure. The PCIe lane difference (20 versus 16) gives the Ultra 5 225F more headroom for expansion devices.