Intel Core Ultra 5 245K review: Can this performance-per-watt breakthrough CPU truly be considered affordable?

Considering it looked like a spec drop at first glance with fewer threads, the Core Ultra 5 245K performs relatively well against its last-gen counterpart, the Core i5-14600K, as it scores comparable results in benchmarks or moves slightly ahead. Before I even booted it up, I had half expected the Ultra 5 245K to place closer to AMD's power-efficient Ryzen 5 9600X, but Intel ended up with a position just above its $359 Ryzen 7 9700X in almost every test.

 

Burst processing test results from Geekbench 6 show the Core Ultra 245K demonstrating a decent generational leap over the 14600K in single-core and multi-core performance. It also outperforms the gamer's favorite Ryzen 7 7800X3D, though that shouldn't be a surprise since AMD's X3D chip never fared brilliantly with productivity testing by design.

 

The Core Ultra 245K demonstrates a decent generational leap over the 14600K in single-core and multi-core performance.

In sustained stress tests with Cinebench 2024, you can see the astronomical multi-core performance lead taken by the Core Ultra 9 285K and the $280 price difference that comes with it. Still, the single-core score is almost level with AMD's Ryzen 7 9900X, a processor selling for around $429 with a closely comparable 120W TDP. However, just like the Ultra 9 285K, something about 7-Zip's benchmark doesn't play well with Arrow Lake-S and the Ultra 5 245K drops below its 14900K predecessor.

 

Overall, you're getting a well-rounded, productivity-first processor with a dedicated NPU that performs slightly ahead of its last-gen counterpart in a more efficient manner with cooler temperatures. That's great news for builders on a budget since you can opt for more lightweight thermal solutions rather than the gigantic ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 I used with my sample. Still, the expense of at least buying a new 800-Series motherboard is unavoidable if you want to try Intel's new desktop generation.

Core Ultra 5 245K: iGPU benchmarks

(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

 

Part of the appeal of building a custom PC with parts ranging from the entry-level to the mid-range is that you can fall back on integrated graphics and save up some cash for discrete graphics cards, which are often the most expensive components. It's rarely an option to rely on an iGPU for serious gaming, though AMD managed an incredible effort with its Ryzen 8700G processor. However, testing Intel's modified version of the Xe-LPG tile from Meteor Lake chips shows it doesn't stand much chance.

 

The new Xe-LPG Plus tile supports hardware-enabled XeSS upscaling tech, which can help with real-time game rendering if the developer supports it. A test in 3DMark's Time Spy benchmark places the Core Ultra 5 245K and Ultra 9 285K between AMD's Radeon 680M and 780M graphics and far below the ASUS ROG Ally X gaming handheld that's designed to keep games running at lower resolutions and cut back on graphical fidelity. So, it's definitely not for gaming, but it'll help with Intel Quick Sync encoding support if your chosen video editing apps implement it.

Core Ultra 5 245K: Competition

AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X is a close rival with a similar demand for mandatory DDR5 RAM.

(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

 

If you're looking at the Core Ultra 5 245K as a potentially affordable entry into an all-new generation of PC technology like PCIe 5.0 and ultra-fast DDR5 RAM, it has a couple of potential rivals for a similar price point. First, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a 65W chip with an 8-core, 16-thread configuration and 32MB of L3 cache, selling for around $327 at Amazon and providing a fluctuating line across the spec sheet but scoring reasonably close to the Ultra 5 245K.

 

However, if you're moving from an AM4 socket with older AMD Ryzen processors or absolutely any Intel processor in its history, you'll need to buy an AM5 motherboard to support the new 7000, 8000, or 9000 Series desktop chips — at this point, every choice has hidden costs. Still, boards using Intel's last-gen LGA1700 socket are cheaper and should continue to drop in price, so picking up a Core i5-14600K for around $255 is a solid option.

 

It helps to have a reasonable expectation of what you want from a processor, so you can aim for something similar to the Core Ultra 5 245K benchmark results and work around your budget to build a fully working desktop PC rather than a single processor and nothing to attach it to. We're past the microcode bug that affected Intel's 14th Gen, as long as you apply all available updates and patches, so sticking with the previous-gen will be particularly appealing to gamers who weren't treated to much of a jump for this range of Arrow Lake chips.

Core Ultra 5 245K: Should you buy?

Intel has my heart for making it much easier to clean thermal paste from its tall and skinny IHS.

(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want affordable access to modern component standards

 

✅ You're migrating across 2-3+ older CPU generations

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You need a high-performing gaming CPU on a budget

 

❌ You're already running 13th or 14th Gen Intel processors

 

---

 

Again, appealing to the custom PC-building crowd who are firmly stuck with a strict budget is no easy task, especially when your shiny new processor demands an all-new motherboard to accommodate a similarly new LGA1851 socket. Still, Intel offers a relatively affordable avenue for those craving PCIe 5.0-compatible storage, expansion cards, and integrated Thunderbolt 4 ports as standard with the Core Ultra 5 245K, pushing slightly ahead of its last-gen Core i5-14600K predecessor.

 

There's no great shift in gaming performance, just like its high-end Core Ultra 9 285K sibling, but that was never Intel's plan anyway. In line with the Core Ultra 200S range, the Ultra 5 245K runs cool with a focus on performance-per-watt efficiency and introduces its NPU to offload background AI tasks. Whether that appeals to you depends mostly on your chosen software suite, but it's undoubtedly capable in productivity apps, and it's a great option for this new generation.

 

Source

---

Hope you enjoyed this news post.

Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.

2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts

 

RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend