PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-14700T

2024

Why buy it

✅+41.2% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 82.3 vs 129.7 PassMark/$ ($384 MSRP vs $240 MSRP).

Core Ultra 5 225

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $144 less on MSRP ($240 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 129.7 vs 82.3 PassMark/$ ($240 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,028 vs 18,390).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 33 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i7-14700T

2024

Core Ultra 5 225

2025

Why buy it

✅+41.2% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $144 less on MSRP ($240 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 129.7 vs 82.3 PassMark/$ ($240 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 82.3 vs 129.7 PassMark/$ ($384 MSRP vs $240 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (13,028 vs 18,390).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 33 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225 better than Core i7-14700T?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 225 is ahead with a 3.2% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-14700T pulls ahead with 41.2% better Geekbench multi-core. Core i7-14700T also has the bigger cache pool with 65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-14700T is the better fit. You are getting 41.2% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 28 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core Ultra 5 225 is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 225 is $144 cheaper on MSRP at $240 MSRP versus $384 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.2% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i7-14700T is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 41.2% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 57.6% better value on MSRP (129.7 vs 82.3 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i7-14700T can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core Ultra 5 225 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2024). That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-14700T Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 225 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
1080p
low	315 FPS	256 FPS
medium	306 FPS	244 FPS
high	243 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	219 FPS
medium	235 FPS	187 FPS
high	175 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	153 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	186 FPS	150 FPS
medium	160 FPS	127 FPS
high	119 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-14700T Open Core Ultra 5 225

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
1080p
low	344 FPS	603 FPS
medium	294 FPS	512 FPS
high	247 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	378 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	501 FPS
medium	265 FPS	441 FPS
high	224 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	319 FPS
4K
low	177 FPS	301 FPS
medium	160 FPS	266 FPS
high	152 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	218 FPS

Open Core i7-14700T Open Core Ultra 5 225

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
1080p
low	646 FPS	778 FPS
medium	528 FPS	680 FPS
high	465 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	403 FPS	522 FPS
1440p
low	588 FPS	725 FPS
medium	488 FPS	588 FPS
high	424 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	368 FPS	439 FPS
4K
low	431 FPS	504 FPS
medium	371 FPS	422 FPS
high	336 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	318 FPS

Open Core i7-14700T Open Core Ultra 5 225

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
1080p
low	790 FPS	778 FPS
medium	790 FPS	778 FPS
high	717 FPS	777 FPS
ultra	644 FPS	699 FPS
1440p
low	772 FPS	778 FPS
medium	688 FPS	716 FPS
high	592 FPS	623 FPS
ultra	522 FPS	547 FPS
4K
low	545 FPS	560 FPS
medium	494 FPS	510 FPS
high	440 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	384 FPS	402 FPS

Open Core i7-14700T Open Core Ultra 5 225

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-14700T and Core Ultra 5 225

Core i7-14700T

The Core i7-14700T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 20 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 31,604 points. Launch price was $384.

Core Ultra 5 225

The Core Ultra 5 225 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 31,137 points. Launch price was $246.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-14700T packs 20 cores / 28 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225 offers 10 cores / 10 threads — the Core i7-14700T has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i7-14700T versus 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225 — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-14700T (base: 1.3 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-14700T uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 225 uses Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-14700T scores 31,604 against the Core Ultra 5 225's 31,137 — a 1.5% lead for the Core i7-14700T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,723 vs 2,653, a 2.6% lead for the Core i7-14700T that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 18,390 vs 13,028 (34.1% advantage for the Core i7-14700T). L3 cache: 33 MB (total) on the Core i7-14700T vs 20 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 225.

Feature	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
Cores / Threads	20 / 28+100%	10 / 10
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+6%	4.9 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	3.3 GHz+154%
L3 Cache	33 MB (total)+65%	20 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	3 MB (per core)+50%
Process	Intel 7 nm	3 nm-57%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)
PassMark	31,604+1%	31,137
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	17,020
Geekbench 6 Single	2,723+3%	2,653
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,390+41%	13,028

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-14700T uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core Ultra 5 225 uses LGA1851 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Core Ultra 5 225 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 192 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-14700T) vs 24 (Core Ultra 5 225) — the Core Ultra 5 225 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z790,B760,H770,Z690,B660,H610 (Core i7-14700T) and Z890,B860,H810 (Core Ultra 5 225).

Feature	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1851
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	256 GB+33%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD 770 (Core i7-14700T) and Intel Arc Graphics (2 Xe-cores) (Core Ultra 5 225) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-14700T targets Productivity, Core Ultra 5 225 targets Mainstream Desktop / Efficiency. Direct competitor: Core i7-14700T rivals Ryzen 7 7700; Core Ultra 5 225 rivals Ryzen 5 8600G.

Feature	Core i7-14700T	Core Ultra 5 225
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD 770	Intel Arc Graphics (2 Xe-cores)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Productivity	Mainstream Desktop / Efficiency

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-14700T launched at $384 MSRP, while the Core Ultra 5 225 debuted at $240. On MSRP ($384 vs $240), the Core Ultra 5 225 is $144 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-14700T delivers 82.3 pts/$ vs 129.7 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 5 225 — making the Core Ultra 5 225 the 44.7% better value option.