Core Ultra 5 245K Vs Core i5-14600K – Should I Upgrade?

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Uzair Qureshi

At Tech4Gamers, I proudly wear the title of Comparisons Specialist. Focused on CPUs and GPUs, I bring forth a wealth of hands-on experience and a keen eye for detail to provide our audience with the latest insights and analyses.

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Pros And Cons

Comparison Table

Architectural Difference

• Architecture: Intel’s new Ultra 5 245K employs an inventive and efficient Arrow Lake architecture, whereas the Core i5-14600K utilizes the power-hungry Raptor Lake Refresh.
• Process Node: The Ultra 5 245K is built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm process, a significant upgrade over the older 10nm technology of the Core i5-14600K.
• CPU Socket: Intel used its FCLGA1700 socket for the previous generation Core i5-14600K processor. In contrast, the Ultra 5 245K features the FCLGA1851 socket, which has 1851 pins for better processing speed.
• Clock Speed: The Ultra 5 245K features a 0.7 GHz faster P-Core base clock. It also provides a 0.6 GHz higher E-Core turbo clock, whereas the Core i5-14600K offers a 0.1 GHz higher P-Core turbo clock.
• CPU Memory: The Ultra 5 245K and Core i5-14600K support up to 192GB of DDR5 memory across two channels. The Ultra 5 245K has a 14.3% greater memory bandwidth than the Core i5-14600K.
• Integrated Graphics: Intel equips the Ultra 5 245K with Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU, while the Core i5-14600K features UHD Graphics 770. The graphics max dynamic frequency of Ultra 5 245K is 22.6% greater.

The Core Ultra 5 245K arrives with a fresh design and ambitious performance claims. Can it outperform the affordable Core i5-14600K for budget-conscious gamers and content creators? Let us start with the performance analysis of the Core Ultra 5 245K vs Core i5-14600K to find a better value option.

Gaming Benchmarks

Evaluating processors’ performance in intensive gaming provides deeper insights into their potential. To this end, we tested the performance of the Core Ultra 5 245K vs Core i5-14600K in eight taxing games at 1080p resolution.

Test Bench

The test bench specifications used with these processors are listed below.

• OS: Windows 11
• GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24G
• Motherboards: MSI Meg Z790 Ace Max, MSI MPG Z890 Edge Ti WiFi
• RAM: Kingston Fury Renegade RGB DDR5 32GB 7200MHz
• SSD: Teamgroup T-Force Z540 2TB Gen5 NVMe SSD
• PSU: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1300W
• CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB

Cyberpunk 2077

• Starting with Cyberpunk 2077, the Core i5-14600K delivers 13.6% better average performance at 117 FPS compared to the 103 FPS of the Ultra 5 245K.
• The Core i5-14600K achieves a 20.3% higher low 1% frame rate (83 FPS) compared to the Ultra 5 245K (69 FPS).

Forza Horizon 5

• In Forza Horizon 5, the Core i5-14600K reaches 233 FPS, offering a 4.9% boost over the 222 FPS achieved by the Ultra 5 245K.
• The Core i5-14600K achieves 177 FPS for low 1% performance, which is 9.9% higher than the 161 FPS recorded by the Ultra 5 245K.

Ghost of Tsushima

• During Ghost of Tsushima, the Core i5-14600K delivered a 172 FPS average, a 3.0% improvement over the 167 FPS achieved by the Ultra 5 245K.
• For the low 1% performance, the Ultra 5 245K took the lead with 99 FPS, a 6.5% advantage compared to the 93 FPS rendered by the Core i5-14600K.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

• While playing Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Core i5-14600K achieved an average of 126 FPS, marking a 5.88% higher performance than the Ultra 5 245K with 119 FPS.
• We observed that the Core i5-14600K  scores 104 FPS at its worst 1% performance in this gameplay, 1.96% more than the Ultra 5 245K with 102 FPS.

Red Dead Redemption 2

• In Red Dead Redemption 2, the Core i5-14600K(182 FPS) delivered a 5.2% higher average performance than the Ultra 5 245K (173 FPS).
• At the 1% low, the Core i5-14600K maintained a slight edge, achieving 117 FPS, which is 2.63% higher than the Ultra 5 245K’s 114 FPS.

Silent Hill 2

• For Silent Hill 2, we saw that the Core i5-14600K and the Ultra 5 245K delivered an identical average FPS of 139, showcasing equal performance.
• At the 1% low, the Core i5-14600K (77 FPS) held a 6.94% advantage compared to the Ultra 5 245K (72 FPS).

Star Wars Outlaws

• While playing Star Wars Outlaws, the Core i5-14600K achieved an average of 131 FPS, outperforming the Ultra 5 245K by 3.14% (127 FPS). 
• In the worst-case 1% scenario, the Core i5-14600K maintained 100 FPS, surpassing the Ultra 5 245K’s 97 FPS by a solid 3.0%.

Starfield

• In our last gaming session of Starfield, the Core i5-14600K offered a 120 FPS average, 19.4% higher than the 113 FPS average furnished by the Ultra 5 245K.
•  In the worst 1% performance scenario, the Core i5-14600K maintained 85 FPS, nearly 16.4% better than the Ultra 5 245K’s 73 FPS.

Productivity Benchmarks

The Core i5-14600K demonstrated dominance across the majority of our gaming benchmarks. Now, let’s explore which processor leads in the realm of productivity performance.

Cinebench R24

• The Core i5-14600K’s single-core score was 122 points in our Cinebench R24 benchmarks, around 14% lower than that of the Ultra 5 245K, which scored 137 points.
• In multi-core performance, the Core i5-14600K achieved an impressive 1390 points, trailing the Ultra 5 245K’s 1522 points, a striking 9.49% lead.

Blender Open Data

• Our Blender Open Data test results show that the Ultra 5 245K performs around 7.1% better than the Core i5-14600K in rendering complex 3D scenes.
• In our benchmarks, the Ultra 5 245K rendered 150 samples per minute, while the Core i5-14600K rendered 140 samples per minute.

Adobe Photoshop 2025

• In Adobe Photoshop 2025 performance test, the Core i5-14600K scored 10,289 points, while the Ultra 5 245Kh scored 9,684.
• This means that the Core i5-14600K provides a performance advantage of roughly 6.25% over the Ultra 5 245K in speedy rendering and complex image processing.

Overall Performance

Average Frame Rate

During our 1080p gaming benchmarks, the Core i5-14600K exhibited amazing prowess, offering an outstanding 152.5 FPS. In contrast, the Ultra 5 245K achieved an average of only 143.4 FPS. These results show that the Core i5-14600K outperformed by 6.3%, highlighting its gaming prowess.

Low 1%  Frame Rate

During the worst 1% scenarios, the Core i5-14600K offers a notable 6.2% advantage over the Ultra 5 245K. The Core i5-14600K produced a better average of 104.5 FPS at low 1%, compared to the Ultra 5 245K’s 98.4 FPS.

Productivity Performance

In our productivity tests, the Ultra 5 245K was approximately 4.5% more efficient than the Core i5-14600K, showcasing its expertise in handling demanding tasks. However, the Core i5-14600K offered better performance in our Adobe Photoshop performance test.

Power Efficiency

During our power efficiency tests for the Core Ultra 5 245K vs Core i5-14600K, the Ultra 5 245K drove incredibly lower power, averaging 64.0 watts, which is 28.8% less than the Core i5-14600K’s 89.9 watts. This efficiency helps it to yield enhanced performance for every unit of energy expended.

Thermal Efficiency

The temperature difference between the Ultra 5 245K and the Core i5-14600K is evident across various games. On average, the Ultra 5 245K maintained a cooler 51.1°C, while the Core i5-14600K reached 56.5°C. So, we conclude that the Ultra 5 245K is approximately 10.6% more thermally efficient.

Price And Value

The Intel Core i5-14600K delivers impressive performance and exceptional value at its current price of $214, offering a 49.1% savings compared to the Ultra 5 245K. Regarding availability, these processors are readily available in the online and offline markets.

What Do We Recommend?

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K: This efficient processor offers reliable productivity capabilities. It is well-suited for multitasking while maintaining low power draw and temperatures. However, its overall performance could be better for this price.

Intel Core i5-14600K: This Processor excels in 1080p and 1440p gaming and productivity tasks. Its strong performance metrics and attractive price point make it a good option for low-budget users who demand more performance per dollar spent.

We recommend the Core i5-14600K to gamers seeking higher performance at a more affordable price. The Core Ultra 5 245K is good for office work where users need productivity, multitasking capabilities, and operating efficiency

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Uzair Qureshi

[Comparisons Specialist]

I’m a passionate computer hardware expert specializing in CPUs and GPUs. With a lifelong curiosity for hardware and extensive hands-on experience, I provide valuable insights, practical advice, and in-depth analysis on these components. Engaging with the hardware community, I exchange knowledge and stay at the forefront of technological advancements.

Get In Touch: uzair@tech4gamers.com