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 245T

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,529 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 576.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.2 vs 17.8 PassMark/$ ($270 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 250W, a 185W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1851 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

2018

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 245T across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (31,945 vs 32,444).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.8 vs 120.2 PassMark/$ ($1,799 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌284.6% higher power demand at 250W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 245T moves to LGA1851 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 245T

2025

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,529 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 576.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.2 vs 17.8 PassMark/$ ($270 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 250W, a 185W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1851 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 245T across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (31,945 vs 32,444).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.8 vs 120.2 PassMark/$ ($1,799 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌284.6% higher power demand at 250W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 245T moves to LGA1851 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 245T better than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 5 245T 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 245T is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 13.2% more average FPS across 2 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 245T is the better fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 14 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 245T is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 245T is $1,529 cheaper on MSRP at $270 MSRP versus $1,799 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.2% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 576.7% better value on MSRP (120.2 vs 17.8 PassMark/$), 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 245T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1851 and DDR5 instead of TR4, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 14 threads instead of 32/64. 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 245T Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	262 FPS	198 FPS
medium	252 FPS	177 FPS
high	212 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	160 FPS
medium	189 FPS	134 FPS
high	153 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	149 FPS	73 FPS
medium	127 FPS	64 FPS
high	98 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	41 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 245T Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	361 FPS	536 FPS
medium	307 FPS	483 FPS
high	258 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	233 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	316 FPS	473 FPS
medium	279 FPS	424 FPS
high	235 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	295 FPS
medium	170 FPS	265 FPS
high	162 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	141 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 245T Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	811 FPS	768 FPS
medium	685 FPS	640 FPS
high	610 FPS	577 FPS
ultra	522 FPS	504 FPS
1440p
low	727 FPS	640 FPS
medium	596 FPS	533 FPS
high	519 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	469 FPS
medium	425 FPS	377 FPS
high	382 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	280 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 245T Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	811 FPS	799 FPS
medium	811 FPS	799 FPS
high	777 FPS	704 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	616 FPS
1440p
low	811 FPS	728 FPS
medium	722 FPS	644 FPS
high	623 FPS	549 FPS
ultra	552 FPS	474 FPS
4K
low	554 FPS	522 FPS
medium	500 FPS	473 FPS
high	447 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	394 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 245T Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 245T and Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Core Ultra 5 245T

The Core Ultra 5 245T 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 14 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 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: 32,444 points. Launch price was $270.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 August 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 31,945 points. Launch price was $1,799.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 245T packs 14 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 245T versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — a 19.4% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 245T (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 245T uses the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 245T scores 32,444 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX's 31,945 — a 1.5% lead for the Core Ultra 5 245T. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 245T vs 64 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Cores / Threads	14 / 14	32 / 64+129%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+21%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	3 GHz+36%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	64 MB+167%
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)+500%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-75%	12 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	32,444+2%	31,945
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	33,213
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,206
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	7,612

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 245T uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6400 on the Core Ultra 5 245T versus DDR4-2933 on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — the Core Ultra 5 245T supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core Ultra 5 245T) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core Ultra 5 245T) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Socket	LGA1851	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	2048 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	64+220%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 245T) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). The Core Ultra 5 245T includes integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG 64EU), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 245T targets Desktop Low Power, Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX targets Extreme Content Creation. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX rivals Core i9-9980XE.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 245T	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Arc Xe-LPG 64EU	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop Low Power	Extreme Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 245T launched at $270 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX debuted at $1799. On MSRP ($270 vs $1799), the Core Ultra 5 245T is $1529 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 245T delivers 120.2 pts/$ vs 17.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — making the Core Ultra 5 245T the 148.5% better value option.