1. Introduction
At this stage, those interested in assembling an Intel platform host face a dilemma. If high performance is a priority, the Core i5-12600K may not be powerful enough for the next two to three years. However, the Core i5-13600K and Core i5-14600K present potential stability risks, leading to much hesitation.
Now, the next-generation entry-level processor, the Core Ultra 5 245K, has been released as the successor to the Core i5-14600K. So, how does the gaming performance of the Core Ultra 5 245K compare to the Core i5-14600K, and is it worth buying? This article will reveal the answers.
2. Parameter Comparison
The Core Ultra 5 245K, released on October 24, 2024, uses TSMC’s 3nm process. It has 6 high-performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, totaling 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 4.2GHz and a max clock of 5.2GHz. The L2 cache is 40MB, with a smart cache of 36MB. Its base power consumption is 125W, with a peak power of 253W, and it’s priced at $309.
The Core i5-14600K, released on October 17, 2023, uses a 10nm process, with 6 high-performance cores and 8 efficiency cores for a total of 14 cores and 20 threads. Its base clock is 3.5 GHz, with a max clock of 5.3GHz. It has a 20MB L2 cache and 24MB of shared smart cache, with a base power consumption of 125W, priced at $319.
3. Test Platform Configuration
The main configuration is as follows:
The Core Ultra 5 245K is paired with the MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK motherboard, while the Core i5-14600K is paired with the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming motherboard. The remaining components are the same: 32GB DDR5 6000MHz RAM, GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, two Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSDs, and Windows 11 OS.
4. Game Testing
The following are tests on seven games, all in 1080p mode. In the images, the Core i5-14600K platform is on the left, and the Core Ultra 5 245K platform on the right.
Game 1: Ghostwire: Tokyo
Core i5-14600K platform:
- Average FPS: 152
- Minimum FPS: 93
- Frame time: 6.4ms
- CPU usage: 19%
- Power: 69W
- Temperature: 51°C
- RAM usage: 10.9GB
- GPU usage: 84%
- GPU memory: 6.5GB
- GPU power: 239W
- GPU temperature: 42°C
Core Ultra 5 245K platform:
- Average FPS: 150
- Minimum FPS: 101
- Frame time: 6.1ms
- CPU usage: 28%
- Power: 44W
- Temperature: 47°C
- RAM usage: 10.4GB
- GPU usage: 82%
- GPU memory: 6.5GB
- GPU power: 232W
- GPU temperature: 42°C
The Core Ultra 5 245K platform shows 9% higher CPU usage but uses 0.5GB less RAM, has 2% lower GPU usage, and matches GPU memory. It averages 2 FPS lower but has an 8 FPS higher minimum FPS, with roughly equivalent frame time. Its power draw is 25W lower, with a 4°C temperature reduction.
Game 2: Cyberpunk 2077
Core i5-14600K platform:
- Average FPS: 113
- Minimum FPS: 84
- Frame time: 8.3ms
- CPU usage: 68%
- Power: 105W
- Temperature: 64°C
- RAM usage: 10.2GB
- GPU usage: 71%
- GPU memory: 8.6GB
- GPU power: 225W
- GPU temperature: 50°C
Core Ultra 5 245K platform:
- Average FPS: 97
- Minimum FPS: 70
- Frame time: 9.4ms
- CPU usage: 76%
- Power: 79W
- Temperature: 56°C
- RAM usage: 10.6GB
- GPU usage: 62%
- GPU memory: 8.9GB
- GPU power: 189W
- GPU temperature: 39°C
The Core Ultra 5 245K platform has 8% higher CPU usage and 0.4GB higher RAM usage but 9% lower GPU usage. It lags by 16 FPS in average FPS, 14 FPS in minimum FPS, and has a 1ms higher frame time but uses 26W less power and is 8°C cooler.
Game 3: Red Dead Redemption 2
Core i5-14600K platform:
- Average FPS: 150
- Minimum FPS: 118
- Frame time: 6.6ms
- CPU usage: 61%
- Power: 94W
- Temperature: 57°C
- RAM usage: 11.4GB
- GPU usage: 71%
- GPU memory: 5.3GB
- GPU power: 244W
- GPU temperature: 51°C
Core Ultra 5 245K platform:
- Average FPS: 139
- Minimum FPS: 120
- Frame time: 7.4ms
- CPU usage: 71%
- Power: 65W
- Temperature: 48°C
- RAM usage: 11.4GB
- GPU usage: 68%
- GPU memory: 5.2GB
- GPU power: 225W
- GPU temperature: 43°C
The Core Ultra 5 245K platform shows 10% higher CPU usage, equal RAM usage, and 3% lower GPU usage. It is 11 FPS lower in average FPS but has a 2 FPS higher minimum FPS. Power consumption is 29W lower, and temperature is reduced by 9°C.
Game 4: Microsoft Flight Simulator
Core i5-14600K platform:
- Average FPS: 126
- Minimum FPS: 103
- Frame time: 7.7ms
- CPU usage: 20%
- Power: 67W
- Temperature: 53°C
- RAM usage: 10.2GB
- GPU usage: 65%
- GPU memory: 6.0GB
- GPU power: 240W
- GPU temperature: 53°C
Core Ultra 5 245K platform:
- Average FPS: 120
- Minimum FPS: 102
- Frame time: 9.0ms
- CPU usage: 27%
- Power: 45W
- Temperature: 48°C
- RAM usage: 11.7GB
- GPU usage: 61%
- GPU memory: 6.2GB
- GPU power: 188W
- GPU temperature: 39°C
The Core Ultra 5 245K platform shows 7% higher CPU usage, 1.5GB more RAM, and 4% lower GPU usage. It is 6 FPS behind in average FPS, with only a minor frame time difference, using 22W less power and running 5°C cooler.
5. Comparison Conclusion
The results are clear: in most games, the Core Ultra 5 245K platform has higher CPU usage yet lower GPU usage, resulting in performance noticeably behind the Core i5-14600K—a rather disappointing outcome. However, the Core Ultra 5 245K does show significant improvements in power consumption and temperature, with power consistently over 20W lower and a reduced temperature by several degrees.
Overall, if gaming performance is a primary concern, Intel’s Core Ultra 200S series is not recommended. Gamers should consider the AMD Ryzen 9000 series.
6. Benchmark Comparison
While gaming performance results may be less favorable, gaming is only one aspect of assessing processor performance. In traditional single-core and multi-core benchmarks, the Core Ultra 5 245K slightly outperforms the Core i5-14600K, with around 7% gains in both single-core and multi-core performance.
In conclusion, focusing solely on gaming performance provides an incomplete picture. A productivity performance comparison is essential, so stay tuned.
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