Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Ultra 5 245K review: gaming losses, content creation wins

Core Ultra 9 285 K and Ultra 5 245K are Intel 's latest desktop processors.

Core Ultra 200S processors come with a new desktop socket, LGA 1851, and a new series of motherboards.

The 285K has 24 cores, with only 24 threads, as simultaneous multi-threading ( SMT ) has been dropped with the new architecture.

Memory fabric and controllers have been shifted off-chip, which imposes a latency penalty.

All testing was performed on fresh installs of Windows 24H2 with the latest chipset drivers, BIOS updates, and graphic drivers ( Nvidia 565.90 ) installed.

The 285 K and 245 K chips tested with the Asus ROG Crosshair 8 Hero with Trident Z Royal DDR4-3600 CL16 RAM .

At its default power levels, 286 K draws significantly less power - max max of 36W versus 4W.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Ultra 5 245 K: the Digital Foundry verdict.

We have 11 games in all, plus additional tests examining power usage, and the impact of DDR5 speeds and core isolation.

It's a promising start for the 285 K in particular, with clear potential for content creators that need to chew through 3D renders and video transcodes at maximum speed.