• Intel Core Ultra 5 245K

  One step forward, two steps back

  Cores

  6P / 8E

  Threads

  14

  Architecture

  Arrow Lake

  Process

  TSMC N3B

  Socket

  FCLGA1851

  Base Clock Speed

  4.2 GHz / 3.6 GHz

  One of the most affordable Arrow Lake processors is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K. Although it is an entry-level chip, it has 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores, making it a powerful CPU for both work and play.

  Pros & Cons

  • Impressively low power consumption
  • Beats the 14600K in some productivity workloads
  • Dedicated NPU

  • Slower than the 14600K in gaming
  • Terrible launch price

  $329 at Newegg $319 at Amazon

• Intel Core i5-14600K

  Brand

  Intel

  CPU Model

  i5-14600K

  Cores

  6P / 8E

  Threads

  20

  Architecture

  Raptor Lake Refresh

  Process

  Intel 7

  The Intel Core i5-14600K is the outgoing hexacore Raptor Lake CPU, sporting 6 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 20 threads, thanks to hyperthreading. It packs solid gaming and productivity performance for the price, and is still viable as a mid-range CPU, despite being a previous-gen CPU. 

  Pros & Cons

  • Faster than the Core Ultra 5 245K in gaming
  • Cheaper than the 245K
  • Decent productivity performance

  • High power consumption
  • No upgrade path on the LGA 1700 socket

  $355 at Amazon $329 at Newegg

Intel's Arrow Lake launch hasn't been going well, at least compared to the expectations users had leading up to the launch. The Core Ultra 5 245K is the most affordable entry point into Intel's all-new LGA 1851 socket, but you'll need to factor in the cost of a new motherboard, plus new memory if you're coming from a DDR4 system.

The Core Ultra 5 245K supposedly replaces the Core i5-14600K. While the prices of these chips make the comparison slightly awkward, many of you will be wondering how the latest 6-core processor from Intel fares against the previous one. I'll dive deeper into the specifications, performance, and thermal efficiency of both these processors to help you decide which one is worth your money.

Price, availability, and specs

An all-new desktop platform

The new Core Ultra 5 245K retains the 6 P-core and 8 E-core configuration of the Core i5-14600K, but you only get 14 threads instead of 20, since hyperthreading is no more (RIP). The base and boost clocks on the 245K are significantly increased, except for the P-core boost clock, which is slightly lower this time. With a 125W TDP instead of the 181W on the 14600K, and a higher L2 cache, the 245K appears to be moving in the right direction.

The launch price of the Core Ultra 5 245K is around $320, while the last-gen Core i5-14600K is easily available for a much lower $250 (approximately). If you're thinking of jumping to Intel's latest processors, you'll need a whole-new LGA 1851 socket motherboard, and maybe a new memory kit (if you're currently running DDR4 RAM).

The 14600K, on the other hand, is compatible with the previous-gen, and cheaper, LGA 1700 socket motherboards. Keep in mind, though, that you don't have any upgrade path if you build a new LGA 1700 system right now.

• 	Intel Core Ultra 5 245K	Intel Core i5-14600K
  Socket	FCLGA1851	LGA 1700
  Cores	6P / 8E	6P / 8E
  Threads	14	20
  Base Clock Speed	4.2 GHz / 3.6 GHz	3.5 GHz / 2.6 GHz
  Boost Clock Speed	5.2 GHz / 4.6 GHz	5.3 GHz / 4.0 GHz
  PCIe	5.0	5.0
  Cache	24MB L3 + 26MB L2	24MB L3 + 20MB L2
  Graphics	Intel Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 770
  Architecture	Arrow Lake	Raptor Lake Refresh
  Process	TSMC N3B	Intel 7
  TDP	125 W	181W

Gaming and productivity performance

A mixed bag, but not really a dilemma

When a new CPU lineup comes out, especially with a new platform, we rightly expect significant gains in performance. Sadly, the Core Ultra 5 245K (and Arrow Lake in general) has delivered disappointing results. The gaming performance is where the 245K lets us down the most, delivering not just poor, but actually slower performance than the Core i5-14600K.

We haven't had a chance to get our hands on the Core Ultra 5 245K, but multiple other reviews have already shown the new processor being 8-9% slower than the 14600K. What's especially alarming is that the 245K's gaming performance is virtually identical to the 3-year-old Core i7-12700K. If Arrow Lake was Intel's attempt at mending its reputation and clawing back market share from AMD, it has failed loud and clear.

The numbers on the productivity side of things are much better, but nothing to be excited about. In some rendering benchmarks, the newer Intel CPU beats the 14600K by a healthy margin, but in others, it performs either similarly or is a bit slower. While it's hard to recommend the Core Ultra 5 245K for gaming, you can still consider it decent for workstation use, especially if your use case is heavily focused on rendering and video editing.

Power consumption and efficiency

Less power, but at what cost?

A saving grace for the Core Ultra 5 245K is its markedly lower power consumption. It seems the TSMC manufacturing process has delivered a much cooler processor lineup in general, with the 245K specifically drawing much less power than the 14600K. Whether it's gaming or productivity workloads, the 245K can be seen consuming up to half the power as its predecessor.

However, power consumption has to be seen in the light of performance. While a cooler chip is certainly the way to go, the 245K doesn't offer much in terms of power efficiency. Whether you compare it to the 14600K or its Ryzen competitors like the Ryzen 7 9700X or Ryzen 7 7700X, the lower power consumption comes with lower performance.

For those already on Raptor Lake, the 245K represents a CPU that's much easier to cool, but if gaming performance is your priority, and power bills aren't particularly high in your region, the 14600K is a much better product, especially since it costs around $70 less than the 245K. You'll have to be fine with LGA 1700 being a dead platform now, but if you aren't for upgrading CPUs every 1–2 years, that's not a big deal, especially on Intel's short-lived sockets.

Should you buy the Core Ultra 5 245K or stick with the Core i5-14600K?

It's nearly impossible to recommend Intel's latest chip

The Core Ultra 5 245K is an all-around poor product, especially at its current price. With lower gaming performance, and a lead in only some productivity workloads when compared to the much cheaper Core i5-14600K, the latter is easily the CPU to pick if you're building a new PC.

You'll need a better cooler to keep the 14600K running at its best, but it's completely manageable. Besides, the overall cost of a 14600K system will be much lower than that of a 245K one, even if you're going with a DDR5 motherboard and memory. You'd also be better off building a Ryzen 7000 or Ryzen 9000 system, considering the better performance and similar power consumption of AMD's AM5 CPUs.

The Core Ultra 5 245K delivers much better results in productivity than gaming workloads, but compared to the Core i5-14600K, it isn't a slam dunk. If staying on Intel's latest platform with an open upgrade path is important to you, and you can digest the sub-par gaming performance, the 245K can still be seen as the most affordable entry point for that. Besides, future microcode and driver updates might improve performance on the 245K. We can always hope.