Intel Core Ultra 5 Vs Intel Core i5: Key Differences

Introduction

Intel Core Ultra 5, designed under Intel’s innovative Meteor Lake architecture, thus highly enhances performance by integrating a combination of performance cores, efficient cores, and low power efficient cores; these have the added deployment of superior multitasking, augmented AI, and enhanced power efficiency for a wide range of portable computing needs.

By the same token, the Intel Core i5 series shows good reliability and is among the most widespread series of processors. Strength in balanced performance and economic efficiency keeps this series a strong player in the market with the capability of i5-12500H and i5-13500H processors giving a solid performance for everyday tasks, gaming, and content creation. Traditionally, the Intel i5 series is an infallible series handling the best value in the mid-range.

In this Core Ultra 5 and Core i5 comparison, we will specifically look at the specifications, performance benchmarks, gaming prowess, and distinctive advantages of both series. Thus, this entails that by the end of this review, one would have obtained a clearer overview of which processor meets a user’s demands or whether he or she is a gamer, a creator of content, or a general user seeking out a robust and efficient mobile processor.

Differences Between Core Ultra 5 And Core I5 Specifications

When one chooses a processor, one must closely look at the core specifications that bear a direct influence on performance and user experience. The most pertinent parameters for the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H/135H and Intel Core i5-12500H/13500H processors are highlighted herein.

Specification

Specification	Intel Core Ultra 5 125H	Intel Core Ultra 5 135H	Intel Core i5-12500H	Intel Core i5-13500H
Total Cores	14	14	12	14
Performance Cores	4	4	4	6
Efficient Cores	8	8	8	8
Low Power Efficient Cores	2	2	0	0
Total Threads	18	18	16	20
Max Turbo Frequency	4.5 GHz	4.6 GHz	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz
Cache	18 MB	18 MB	16 MB	18 MB
Base Power	28 W	28 W	45 W	45 W
Maximum Turbo Power	115 W	115 W	95 W	95 W
GPU Name	Intel® Arc™ Graphics	Intel® Arc™ Graphics	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Xe Cores / Execution Units	128	128	80	80
Max Dynamic Frequency	2.2 GHz	2.2 GHz	1.45 GHz	1.45 GHz

Core And Thread Count

The Intel Core Ultra 5 series (125H/135H), which appears to consolidate performance, efficient, and low power-efficient cores, flushes into a round, soft attractor, with 14 cores and 18 threads, designed mainly for power multitasking, where some applications need use simultaneously.

The performance cores for the Intel Core i5-12500H come from 4 performance and 8 efficient cores, making up 12 cores and 16 threads, respectively, while the i5-13500H has 14 cores from 6 performance and 8 efficient cores, which include 20 threads. The higher performance core count of the i5-13500H may provide a performance uplift for the application in core-bound tasks that use heavy processing.

Max Turbo Frequency

Although the maximum turbo frequency of the Intel Ultra 5 135H is slightly higher (4.6 G Hz) than that of the Ultra 5 125H (4.5 GHz), it does allow for slightly better performance in certain single-threaded tasks.

The i5-13500H has a slight advantage with a maximum turbo frequency of 4.5 GHz compared to the i5-12500H with a 4.4 GHz allowing it to edge out slight gains during load bursts.

Cache

Both the Core Ultra 5 125H and 135H have 18 MB of Intel® Smart Cache, which helps speed up access to frequently used data and instructions.

The Intel Core i5-12500H has 16 MB of cache, while the i5-13500H has 18 MB, which can influence the speed at which the processor can access data, thus impacting overall performance.

Power Specifications

Core Ultra 5 delivers a minimum power of 28 watts and a maximum turbo power of 115 watts, stressing a design focusing on an ideal balance in performance while with power-saving features tailored specifically for mobile devices demanding long battery time.

With base power values from the Intel Core i5 series extending all the way to 45 watts and a definite maximum turbo setting of 95-watt worth of chips, such a setup seems preferably maintained to give increased performance at the higher expense of energy.

Graphics

The Intel Core Ultra 5 series brandishes Intel® Arc™ Graphics powered by 128 Xe cores, promising extraordinary graphics performance to meet gaming and content creation plans.

The Intel Core 5 series is provided by Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics powered by 80 execution units, representing fair integrated graphics performance, albeit having a weaker general supply than the Ultra 5-based Arc™ Graphics.

They further highlight the strengths and target uses of each processor series. The Intel Core Ultra 5 series targets users seeking the highest performance under the best power efficiencies with an added emphasis on mobile computing use. The Intel Core i5 series provides sound performance with an emphasis on mainstream applications and wider market acceptability.

What’s Different?

Such differences bring to light the most advantageous features and target applications of each series of processors. The Intel Core Ultra 5 series is aimed at an eclectic array of demanding tasks that require an optimum equilibrium of ultra-high performance with optimal power efficiency, especially on mobile devices. In contrast, the Intel Core i5 series are entry-level processors catering to modest performance demands everywhere and a wider acceptance in the market.

Intel Core Ultra 5 vs i5: Performance Benchmarks

In this section, we compare the two series of Intel Core processors Core i5-12500H/13500H and Core Ultra 5 125H/135H-using several benchmarking tests. With these tests, we will achieve an insightful overview of how these processors perform in real-world applications, weighing in both single-core and multi-core performance.

Cinebench R23

In a good number of cases, Cinebench R23 could be said to be a fairly common cross-platform benchmark that tests CPU performance by rendering a very detailed three-dimensional scene. It tests single-core and multi-core performances while showing the processor’s ability to cope with heavy workloads.

Processor	Single-Core Score	Multi-Core Score
Intel Core Ultra 5 125H	1733	14906
Intel Core Ultra 5 135H	1761	14932
Intel Core i5-12500H	1691	13342
Intel Core i5-13500H	1761	14341

Single-Core Performance: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H thus leads with slight superiority in single-core performance, of great importance to those processes mostly dependent on single-thread execution.

Multi-Core Performance: The Intel Core Ultra 5 series displays a higher performance output, overtaking the Intel Core i5 series by virtue of more cores and threads, rendering it fitter for multi-threaded applications such as video rendering and 3D modelling.

PassMark CPU

The overall test score for the PassMark CPU benchmark is generated from tests based on integer math, floating point math, and compression. It is a frequently used benchmark for assessing processors’ general performance.

Processor	Single-Core Score	Multi-Core Score
Intel Core Ultra 5 125H	3526	22383
Intel Core Ultra 5 135H	3575	22822
Intel Core i5-12500H	3466	21117
Intel Core i5-13500H	3538	22689

Overall Performance: The Intel Core Ultra 5 processors show higher passing marks compared with the Intel Core i5 processors, which indicates better overall performance over a variety of tasks.

Summary Of Performance

In summation, the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and 135H processors outperformed the Intel Core i5-12500H and 13500H in all single-core and multi-core benchmarks. Hence, Ultra 5 is suitable for high-performance tasks, such as content creation, gaming, and complex computational workloads. Since they outscored the Intel Core i5 in Cinebench R23 and PassMark, the Ultra 5 series emphasizes performance advantages for complex computing applications.

Ultra 5 vs Intel Core i5 – Gaming Performance

As perhaps one of the most important factors attributed to a buyer’s determination of a CPU, gaming performance has the greatest potential to influence the actual gaming experience. Hence, at this juncture, comparisons are made between the gaming prowess of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H/135H and those of the Intel Core i5-12500H/13500H based on FPS counted on some universally accepted games, the gaming experience in general, and performance according to different kinds of games.

Frames Per Second (FPS) In Popular Games

FPS is a key metric for evaluating gaming performance, as it measures how smoothly a game runs on a given hardware setup. Higher FPS generally translates to a better gaming experience, with smoother visuals and more responsive gameplay.

Game	Intel Core Ultra 5 125H	Intel Core Ultra 5 135H	Intel Core i5-12500H	Intel Core i5-13500H
League of Legends	100 FPS	110 FPS	90 FPS	100 FPS
CS:GO2	85 FPS	95 FPS	80 FPS	90 FPS
DOTA 2	80 FPS	85 FPS	70 FPS	80 FPS
Minecraft	70 FPS	75 FPS	65 FPS	70 FPS
Rocket League	60 FPS	65 FPS	55 FPS	60 FPS

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League of Legends: This game has relatively low hardware demands, allowing the Intel Core Ultra 5 series to provide a smooth experience with FPS reaching above 100.

CS:GO: Even with integrated graphics, CS:GO2 can maintain high FPS on medium settings. The Ultra 5 135H achieves up to 95 FPS, making it suitable for competitive play.

DOTA 2: As a MOBA, DOTA 2 isn’t too taxing on graphics, and integrated GPUs can deliver a decent FPS, allowing for a smooth gaming experience.

Minecraft: When running on Intel UHD or Iris Xe Graphics, Minecraft can achieve good FPS, especially on lower graphical settings, with the Ultra 5 series performing slightly better.

Rocket League: While this physics-based game does demand some graphics power, integrated graphics can still manage around 60 FPS at medium settings, providing a decent experience.

Overall Gaming Experience

The overall gaming experience is influenced not only by FPS but also by load times, thermal performance, and stability. The following is a comparison of the processors:

1. Load Times: Load times are shorter in games on the Intel Core Ultra 5 series due to the higher cache and fast memory access, thereby enhancing the gaming experience overall.
2. Thermal Performance: The Ultra 5 processors, with their effectively built core, dissipate heat better, thus maintaining performance during long gaming sessions without major throttling.
3. Stability: Both series are independent, but the enrichment of AI-deep learning capabilities for the Ultra 5 processors allows better optimization and smoother gameplay for the supporting titles.

How To Choose The Ultra 5 And i5?

The choice of the processor greatly hinges on fulfilling the unique needs of its user or the scenario in which it will be used. For high-performance gaming, however, it’s the Intel Core Ultra 5 series that really comes into its own. Those gamers playing graphics-intensive AAA titles or competitive multiplayer games will find themselves benefiting from more frames per second as well as improved thermal management and advanced graphics capabilities the Ultra 5 series has to offer, enabling a smoother and more immersive gaming experience.

For content creators such as video editors and 3D renderers, the Ultra 5 series will provide significant advantages. The improved multi-core performance and faster processing translate to faster render times and efficient multitasking-a wonderful option for someone needing tons of computational power. Furthermore, if your work involves AI, machine learning, or deep learning applications, the AI acceleration features in the Ultra 5 series can significantly boost performance and efficiency, making complex tasks more manageable.

For mobile users with an absolute priority of battery life without compromises in performance, battery-efficient design is therefore a vital consideration in the selection of the processors in the Ultra 5 series. The designs of these processors extend battery life while delivering performance, hence, they are ideal choices for users looking for ways to be productive while on the go.

Furthermore, the Intel Core i5-12500H and 13500H are more than capable of performing general productivity tasks such as web browsing, office applications, and media consumption. Given their low price and at the same time reasonable performance, these processors are an extremely practical option for a lot of users who do not wish to pay for the surplus performance of the Ultra 5 series. Even casual gamers engaged with light-uncomplicated titles will find the i5 series remarkably efficient, supplying the adequate frame rates investors are looking for without the ultra-core pricing.

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Budget intelligent users will appreciate the competitive level of performance offered by Intel’s Core i5-12500H and 13500H processors. This performance-oriented design is optimized to bring the most advantages across diverse areas, making it a natural choice in selecting to augment the investment. Besides, the i5 series is a leading series easily recognized to be compatible with a majority of software and hardware, which, therefore, also continues to present itself as a safe and versatile alternative for users’ dependability and broader compatibility.

Conclusion

The Intel Core Ultra 5 and Intel Core i5 represent two classes of processing power; each is ideal depending on users’ needs and situations. While the Intel Core Ultra 5 is built for serious gaming, resource-intensive content creation, and artificial intelligence applications, it boasts top-notch multi-core power, improved graphics, and efficient power management, making it ideal for demanding applications and those requiring long battery life.

Conversely, Intel’s i5 series suits general productivity, light gaming, and value-based performance. Thus, the i5 offers sufficient performance for everyday tasks and is one of the most dependable and versatile alternatives available for users looking for processors on a budget.