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 Ultra 5 225F

2025

Why buy it

✅+45.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 65W instead of 175W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 26 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w5-2445, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $231 MSRP, while Xeon w5-2445 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon w5-2445

2023

Why buy it

✅+31.3% larger total L3 cache (26 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,822 vs 2,653).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,500 vs 17,050).
❌169.2% higher power demand at 175W vs 65W.

Core Ultra 5 225F

2025

Xeon w5-2445

2023

Why buy it

✅+45.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 65W instead of 175W, a 110W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+31.3% larger total L3 cache (26 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 26 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w5-2445, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $231 MSRP, while Xeon w5-2445 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,822 vs 2,653).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,500 vs 17,050).
❌169.2% higher power demand at 175W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225F better than Xeon w5-2445?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon w5-2445 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 5 225F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core Ultra 5 225F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.4% more average FPS across 35 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 225F is the better fit. You are getting 10% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 225F is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 225F is at an unclear MSRP at $231 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 35 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (136.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core Ultra 5 225F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 10 threads instead of 10/20. 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 Ultra 5 225F Benchmark Check

Xeon w5-2445 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225F	Xeon w5-2445
1080p
low	256 FPS	186 FPS
medium	244 FPS	155 FPS
high	208 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	219 FPS	151 FPS
medium	187 FPS	121 FPS
high	154 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	150 FPS	83 FPS
medium	127 FPS	71 FPS
high	99 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225F Open Xeon w5-2445

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225F	Xeon w5-2445
1080p
low	603 FPS	585 FPS
medium	512 FPS	487 FPS
high	421 FPS	402 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	361 FPS
1440p
low	501 FPS	496 FPS
medium	441 FPS	430 FPS
high	372 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	301 FPS	307 FPS
medium	266 FPS	269 FPS
high	248 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225F Open Xeon w5-2445

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225F	Xeon w5-2445
1080p
low	789 FPS	805 FPS
medium	680 FPS	805 FPS
high	609 FPS	805 FPS
ultra	522 FPS	805 FPS
1440p
low	725 FPS	805 FPS
medium	588 FPS	765 FPS
high	515 FPS	725 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	650 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	560 FPS
medium	422 FPS	458 FPS
high	377 FPS	417 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	338 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225F Open Xeon w5-2445

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225F	Xeon w5-2445
1080p
low	789 FPS	805 FPS
medium	789 FPS	805 FPS
high	777 FPS	805 FPS
ultra	699 FPS	787 FPS
1440p
low	789 FPS	805 FPS
medium	716 FPS	805 FPS
high	623 FPS	726 FPS
ultra	547 FPS	621 FPS
4K
low	560 FPS	681 FPS
medium	510 FPS	594 FPS
high	457 FPS	524 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225F Open Xeon w5-2445

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 225F and Xeon w5-2445

Core Ultra 5 225F

The Core Ultra 5 225F 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: 31,541 points. Launch price was $231.

Xeon w5-2445

The Xeon w5-2445 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 26.25 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 175 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 32,213 points. Launch price was $839.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 225F packs 10 cores / 10 threads, matching the Xeon w5-2445's 10 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225F versus 4.6 GHz on the Xeon w5-2445 — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225F (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 225F uses the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Xeon w5-2445 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 225F scores 31,541 against the Xeon w5-2445's 32,213 — a 2.1% lead for the Xeon w5-2445. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 17,050 vs 15,500 (9.5% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,653 vs 1,822, a 37.1% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,028 vs 10,719 (19.4% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225F). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 225F vs 26.25 MB on the Xeon w5-2445.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 225F	Xeon w5-2445
Cores / Threads	10 / 10	10 / 20
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+7%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+6%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	26.25 MB+31%
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)+50%	2 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	31,541	32,213+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,050+10%	15,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,653+46%	1,822
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,028+22%	10,719

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 225F uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon w5-2445 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Xeon w5-2445 supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core Ultra 5 225F) vs 4 (Xeon w5-2445). PCIe lanes: 24 (Core Ultra 5 225F) vs 64 (Xeon w5-2445) — the Xeon w5-2445 offers 40 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z890,B860 (Core Ultra 5 225F) and W790 (Xeon w5-2445).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 225F	Xeon w5-2445
Socket	LGA1851	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	2048 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	64+167%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 225F) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon w5-2445). Primary use case: Xeon w5-2445 targets Professional Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon w5-2445 rivals Threadripper 7945WX.