Intel Core i5-14600KF vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against desktop processors at a similar price

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 6.0/10 overall, ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600KF at 5.8/10.

The Intel Core i5-14600KF leads on single-core performance and efficiency.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus leads on multi-core performance and integrated graphics.

They score the same on platform.

The biggest difference is integrated graphics, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 5/10 to the Intel Core i5-14600KF's 0/10.

Intel Core i5-14600KF

5.8/10verdict: good, not the best

The Core i5-14600KF suits builders who want a high thread count for compiling, VMs and containers. It pairs 14 cores and 20 threads with a 5.3 GHz performance-core turbo. Buyers should be comfortable with the owner reports on 14th-gen voltage and stability.

Typically about £220 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

6.0/10verdict: good, not the best

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus suits developers and homelabbers who want a lot of cores for builds, rendering and parallel workloads. It also suits anyone who needs ECC memory support on a desktop socket. It is a weaker fit for always-on servers where idle power matters, or for buyers whose main aim is gaming.

Typically about £216.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Intel Core i5-14600KF	Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Multi-core performance	25%	8/10	9/10
Single-core performance	20%	8/10	6/10
Efficiency	20%	5/10	3/10
Platform	20%	6/10	6/10
Integrated graphics	15%	0/10	5/10
Overall		5.8/10	6.0/10

Specifications

Spec	Intel Core i5-14600KF	Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Cores / threads	14 (6 performance + 8 efficient), 20 threads	18 total (6 performance + 12 efficient), 18 threads
Base / boost clock	P-core base 3.5 GHz; E-core base 2.6 GHz; P-core max turbo 5.3 GHz; E-core max turbo 4 GHz	P-core base 4.2 GHz, P-core max turbo 5.3 GHz; E-core base 3.3 GHz, E-core max turbo 4.6 GHz
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1851
TDP	Processor Base Power 125 W; Maximum Turbo Power 181 W	Processor Base Power 125 W; Maximum Turbo Power 159 W
Cache	24 MB Intel Smart Cache; 20 MB total L2	30 MB Intel Smart Cache; total L2 cache 30 MB
Integrated graphics	not listed	Intel Graphics, 4 Xe-cores, 300 MHz base, 1.9 GHz max dynamic, 8 GPU peak TOPS
Memory support	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s, up to DDR4 3200 MT/s, two channels, max 192 GB	Up to DDR5-7200 MT/s; 2 memory channels; max 256 GB; ECC supported

Strengths and weaknesses

Intel Core i5-14600KF

+ 14 cores and 20 threads for compiling and VMs
+ 5.3 GHz P-core max turbo
+ Owners praise low idle power
− Owner reports of 14th-gen voltage and stability problems
− 181 W maximum turbo power
− 125 W base power rating

Skip it if:

Builders who want to avoid any 14th-gen voltage and stability risk
Buyers who want a low power ceiling, given the 181 W maximum turbo power
Anyone planning heavy expansion with many add-in cards, given 20 PCIe lanes in total

Read the full Intel Core i5-14600KF review ›

Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

+ 18 cores and 18 threads for parallel work
+ ECC memory supported, up to 256 GB DDR5
+ Reviewers praised its low price and multi-core performance
− Reviewers criticised high idle power draw
− 125 W base power, 159 W maximum turbo
− Reviewers noted gaming shortfalls and limited Gen 5 SSD speeds

Skip it if:

Homelabbers building a low-power server that stays on around the clock
Gamers who want the best gaming results above all
Buyers planning around the fastest Gen 5 SSD speeds

Read the full Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus review ›

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