Intel Core 5 211E vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus Comparison
Intel Core 5 211E
Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Core 5 211E vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
The Verdict
The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins 16 of 17 head-to-head comparisons against the Intel Core 5 211E, with the single exception being Cinebench R23 single-core. The Ultra 5 250K Plus delivers a 76.8% higher average benchmark score (66855 vs 37829) and sits at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, compared to the 211E's 86th percentile. For any workload that scales with thread count, instruction throughput, or memory bandwidth, the Ultra 5 250K Plus is the decisive choice. The Core 5 211E retains a narrow edge in one specific rendering test, but its overall performance envelope places it firmly in a lower tier. Users prioritizing multi-threaded productivity, data processing, or physics simulation should select the Ultra 5 250K Plus without hesitation. The 211E is only relevant for scenarios where its specific Cinebench R23 single-core advantage matters more than the overwhelming performance gap elsewhere.
Architecture Differences
The two processors diverge fundamentally in their underlying designs. The Core 5 211E uses Bartlett Lake silicon built on Intel's 10 nm process, with a die size of 257 mm². It provides 10 cores and 16 threads, reflecting a hybrid arrangement where not all cores have dedicated threading. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, uses Arrow Lake Refresh silicon fabricated by TSMC on a 3 nm node, with a die size of 243 mm². It packs 18 cores and 18 threads, indicating a design where each core operates as a single thread. The transistor count for the Ultra 5 is listed at 17,800 million, while the 211E's transistor count is not recorded in the database.
Cache hierarchies also differ substantially. The 211E offers 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 5 250K Plus provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. Memory support diverges as well: the 211E supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the Ultra 5 supports only DDR5 in dual-channel with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. PCIe connectivity differs, with the 211E offering Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes and the Ultra 5 offering Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes.
Integrated graphics separate the two further. The 211E carries UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 5 250K Plus uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The Ultra 5 has an unlocked multiplier, whereas the 211E is locked. Socket compatibility is exclusive: the 211E uses Intel Socket 1700, and the Ultra 5 uses Intel Socket 1851. The release dates differ by over a year, with the 211E launching in January 2025 and the Ultra 5 in March 2026.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The largest single victory for the Ultra 5 250K Plus comes in PassMark's find prime numbers test, where it scores 486 against the 211E's 43, a delta of 91.2% in favor of the Ultra 5. This extreme gap indicates a massive advantage in integer-heavy, latency-sensitive computation patterns. Physics simulation follows closely: the Ultra 5 scores 3494 versus 702, a 79.9% advantage. Floating point math shows a 59.2% lead (162692 vs 66402), and data encryption shows a 57.4% lead (42144 vs 17938). Multi-threaded Cinebench results are similarly lopsided: R15 multicore favors the Ultra 5 by 55.7% (4640 vs 2055), R20 multicore by 53.6% (18442 vs 8563), and PassMark multithread by 53.8% (51596 vs 23833).
The Ultra 5 also wins in data compression by 39% (568721 vs 346757), extended instructions by 51.5% (44565 vs 21592), random string sorting by 50.3% (69090 vs 34308), and integer math by 29.6% (125091 vs 88117). Single-thread PassMark scores favor the Ultra 5 by 15.8% (4757 vs 4006), and Cinebench R15 single-core favors it by 11.9% (328 vs 289). Cinebench R20 single-core shows a 53.6% lead for the Ultra 5 (2603 vs 1208), matching the multicore delta for that test.
The sole win for the Core 5 211E is Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 2878 against the Ultra 5's 2261, a 27.3% advantage. This anomaly is striking because the Ultra 5 wins R15 and R20 single-core tests by substantial margins, yet loses R23 single-core. The data suggests the 211E's Bartlett Lake architecture has a specific optimization that benefits the R23 workload's instruction mix, despite its older process node and lower boost clock (4.90 GHz vs 5.30 GHz).
FAQ
Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?
A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has an average benchmark score of 66855, while the Intel Core 5 211E scores 37829. The Ultra 5 leads by 76.8%.
Q: Does the Core 5 211E win any benchmark at all?
A: Yes, it wins Cinebench R23 single-core with a score of 2878 versus 2261 for the Ultra 5 250K Plus, a 27.3% advantage. This is its only victory in the 17 head-to-head comparisons.
Q: How do the memory bandwidth specifications compare?
A: The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus supports DDR5 only with a dual-channel bus delivering 115.2 GB/s. The Core 5 211E supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus delivering 76.8 GB/s.
Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?
A: The Core 5 211E has 10 cores and 16 threads. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads.
Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?
A: The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus boosts to 5.30 GHz, compared to 4.90 GHz for the Core 5 211E. The Ultra 5 also has a higher base clock at 4.20 GHz versus 2.70 GHz.
Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?
A: Yes, both the Core 5 211E and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus have ECC memory support enabled.
Where Each One Wins
The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus dominates across nearly every measured workload category. Its 18 cores and 18 threads, combined with higher clock speeds and a larger cache hierarchy, produce decisive advantages in multi-threaded rendering (Cinebench R15, R20, R23 multicore), physics simulation, floating point math, data encryption, and data compression. The 79.9% lead in physics and 91.2% lead in prime number finding indicate that the Ultra 5 is particularly strong in scientific computing and simulation tasks that rely on heavy integer and floating point throughput. Content creation workloads such as video encoding, 3D rendering, and batch image processing would benefit from the 53.8% multithread advantage. The Ultra 5 also leads in single-thread PassMark by 15.8%, meaning even lightly threaded applications gain from its higher boost clock and newer 3 nm process.
The Core 5 211E's single victory in Cinebench R23 single-core is narrow in scope but meaningful for specific workflows. If an application's performance correlates strongly with R23 single-core scores, the 211E provides a 27.3% advantage over the Ultra 5. This could matter for legacy software or proprietary tools benchmarked against R23 as a reference. Additionally, the 211E supports DDR4 memory, which may be relevant for systems with existing DDR4 modules, though its memory bandwidth is 33.3% lower than the Ultra 5's DDR5 configuration. The 211E also has a lower TDP at 65 watts versus 125 watts, making it a more power-conscious option for thermally constrained builds, though the database does not record any power efficiency benchmarks.
Specification Differences
The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The Core 5 211E uses a 10 nm Intel process with a 257 mm² die, while the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses a 3 nm TSMC process with a 243 mm² die and 17,800 million transistors. Core count differs by 8 (10 vs 18), and thread count differs by 2 (16 vs 18). Base clocks are 2.70 GHz for the 211E and 4.20 GHz for the Ultra 5, with boost clocks of 4.90 GHz and 5.30 GHz respectively. TDP is 65 watts for the 211E and 125 watts for the Ultra 5.
Cache specifications are larger on the Ultra 5: 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 20 MB shared versus 30 MB shared. Memory support differs, with the 211E accepting DDR4 and DDR5 while the Ultra 5 accepts only DDR5. Memory bandwidth is 76.8 GB/s versus 115.2 GB/s. PCIe lanes are 16 versus 20, both Gen 5. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730 on the 211E and Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU on the Ultra 5. The Ultra 5 has an unlocked multiplier; the 211E does not. Sockets are incompatible: Socket 1700 versus Socket 1851. Release dates are January 2025 and March 2026, respectively. Launch MSRP values are $221 for the 211E and $199 for the Ultra 5.