• Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

  Cores

  8P / 16E

  Threads

  24

  Architecture

  Arrow Lake

  Process

  TSMC N3B

  Socket

  FCLGA1851

  Base Clock Speed

  3.7 GHz / 3.2 GHz

  Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K brings a new naming scheme to the desktop. It's also packing better performance per watt, new P-cores, E-cores and I/O support to move away from the thermal issues of the past and take on AMD's Ryzen chips in productivity tasks.

  Pros & Cons

  • Better power efficiency than 14th gen
  • Impressive specs including high base clocks

  • No hyperthreading support
  • DDR4 RAM support is gone

• Intel Core i9-14900K

  Brand

  Intel

  Cores

  8 P-cores, 16 E-cores

  Threads

  32

  Architecture

  Raptor Lake Refresh

  Process

  Intel 7 (10 nm)

  Socket

  LGA 1700

  The Intel Core i9-14900K is a powerful but thirsty processor that can easily draw 300W under full load and tax both your power bill and your CPU cooler. It does have 24 cores and 32 threads though, which is a lot of power for productivity or gaming use.

  Pros & Cons

  • Better multicore performance
  • Still has hyperthreading for a total of 32 cores

  • Thermal throttling issues
  • Less efficient

  $546 at Amazon $500 at Best Buy $579 at Newegg

Intel's Arrow Lake family of processors has now found its way to the desktop, where it's competing against AMD's Ryzen 9000 series and Intel's 14th-generation processors (at least until stocks last of the last-gen chips). The Intel Core 9 285K is the new enthusiast-level chip in the lineup, replacing the outgoing Intel Core i9-14900K. Both processors are way more than most users need in their computers, but things like needs aren't the first thing that enthusiasts think about when deciding what to put in their new builds. While both are Intel processors, they require different socket types and, thus, different motherboards. While we have yet to put the Intel Core Ultra desktop chips on our test bench, we have no doubt that it will be a worthy successor to the 14th-gen flagship.

Price, specs & availability

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has an MSRP of $599, the same price that the Intel Core i9-14900K launched for almost a year ago. However, you can often find the i9-14900K for significantly less, with a current price of around $450, presumably to clear stock before the new processor hits the market. The Core Ultra 9 285K drops hyperthreading, so while it has the same 24 cores of the i9-14900K, it only has 24 threads vs the 32 threads of last gen's flagship. Base clock speeds have increased on the Core Ultra, but the maximum boost clock has dropped slightly on the performance cores. This shouldn't change that much in terms of how the CPUs perform in productivity or gaming tasks, but it's good to know the structural changes.

• 	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K	Intel Core i9-14900K
  Socket	FCLGA1851	LGA 1700
  Cores	8P / 16E	8 P-cores, 16 E-cores
  Threads	24	32
  Base Clock Speed	3.7 GHz / 3.2 GHz	3.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz
  Boost Clock Speed	5.7 GHz / 5.5 GHz	6.0 GHz, 4.4 GHz
  PCIe	5.0	5.0
  Cache	36MB L3 + 40MB L2	36 MB L3
  RAM support	DDR5-6400	DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200
  Graphics	Intel Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 770
  Architecture	Arrow Lake	Raptor Lake Refresh
  Process	TSMC N3B	Intel 7 (10 nm)
  TDP	125 W	125 W
  Power Draw	~250 W	~253 W

Architecture and thermals

Arrow Lake brings structural improvements on many fronts

Even though Raptor Lake Refresh and Arrow Lake are both from Intel and use the same number of cores with 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores, they're pretty different structurally. Core Ultra (Gen 2) drops support for hyperthreading, the Intel tech that used to let two tasks go through one core at the same time. That means you only get 24 threads total on the Core Ultra 9 285K, compared to the 32 threads on the Intel Core i9-14900K. In practice, this doesn't make as much of a difference as you'd think, as the E-cores in ARL are beefier than those in 14th-gen chips, and the base clock speeds are increased to compensate.

Both processors have a 125W base TDP, with a 250W boost TDP for the new Core Ultra and a roughly 253W boost TDP for the i9-14900K. However, Core Ultra (Gen 2) is built on a more efficient process node than 14th-gen, with Intel's marketing slides promising up to 80W lower power draw for heavy loads. That should mean a hefty temperature drop on the Core Ultra 9 285K, although we're going to wait until it's on our test bench to confirm those figures.

Performance and efficiency

Hyperthreading is gone but so is the excessive power draw

Modern processors are a far cry from the middling performance of years gone past. Both of these processors are enthusiast-grade, which means they will absolutely chew up and spit out any tasks they're given, from video rendering to 3D modeling, to gaming with the latest AAA titles. But, one processor is far more efficient while doing so, and that's the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The drop from a 10nm process to TSMC's 3nm process node brings big efficiency gains, while keeping performance at a similar level, and even with some modest gains in some tasks.

Yes, the loss of hyperthreading looks like it might bring a performance hit. We're looking forward to seeing how much of one, if at all, once testing starts. If Intel has managed to improve efficiency while keeping performance levels substantially similar, even without hyperthreading, then it has a winner on its hands. I know many gamers that turned off hyperthreading anyway because it makes a tiny difference to FPS, and I think that Core Ultra (Gen 2) will have similar performance levels.

Which processor should you buy?

When comparing two enthusiast-level processors from the same company, differing only by generational upgrades, it's often easy to hedge and suggest that either will work just as well, so get the one that's cheaper at the time of purchase. Both of these CPUs are overkill for the majority of users, which is why they're the enthusiast offerings. But this year is different, as the Intel Core i9-14900K and many of its Raptor Lake brethren were plagued with instabilities and early damage. Intel might have found a root cause and issued BIOS updates to address it, but it is too late for many users, and it makes it hard to recommend any 13th or 14th-generation CPUs.

Not that the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is winning by default here because it's a powerful processor in its own right, with multiple architectural improvements, a huge improvement in efficiency, and a new process node using TSMC's tried-and-tested tech. Yes, it needs a new motherboard because it uses a different socket to LGA1700, but the sum total of the improvements makes it a worthwhile purchase if you're an enthusiast where every little bit of performance counts.

It's not that the Intel Core i9-14900K is a bad CPU; it isn't. But it comes with baggage, in the form of months and months of issues with voltages running rampant and causing premature deterioration. BIOS updates have been rolled out to fix the issues, but it's still tough to recommend, even at reduced pricing. The LGA 1700 socket is now retired, and the i9-14900K is always going to be a hot tamale to cool.