Core i7-8700K
Coffee Lake · 6C/12T · 95 W · LGA1151
Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
Core Ultra 9 285K takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Core i7-8700K lands at 62 and Core Ultra 9 285K at 89. That puts Core Ultra 9 285K ahead by 27 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Core i7-8700K if…
- ✓Strong per-core performance
- ✓Hybrid P/E cores (12th gen+)
- ✓Wide platform availability
Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…
- ✓Far more efficient than 14900K
- ✓Strong multi-thread productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testGaming
Core Ultra 9 285KFrame-rate-bound workloads — favours cache and single-thread speed
Core Ultra 9 285K leads on gaming (85 vs 61).
Creators & productivity
Core Ultra 9 285KRendering, compilation, heavy multitasking — favours core count
Core Ultra 9 285K leads on multi (94 vs 62).
Power efficiency
Core Ultra 9 285KPerformance per watt — thermals, PSU headroom, electricity cost
Core Ultra 9 285K leads on efficiency (90 vs 72).
Value for money
Core i7-8700KSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Core i7-8700K more score per dollar ($359 vs $589).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Core i7-8700K | Core Ultra 9 285K |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Coffee Lake | — |
| Cores | 6 | ▲ 24 (8P + 16E) |
| Threads | 12 | ▲ 24 |
| TDP | 95 W | 125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2) |
| Socket | LGA1151 | LGA1851 |
| Release year | 2017 | — |
| Base clock | — | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock | — | 5.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 36 MB |
| Process | — | TSMC N3B |
| iGPU | — | Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) |
| NPU | — | 13 TOPS |
| Memory | — | DDR5-6400 |
Core i7-8700K
- +Strong per-core performance
- +Hybrid P/E cores (12th gen+)
- +Wide platform availability
- −Power draw on top SKUs
- −Frequent socket changes
- −Arrow Lake gaming regressions
Core Ultra 9 285K
- +Far more efficient than 14900K
- +Strong multi-thread productivity
- +New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
- −Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
- −No hyper-threading (24 threads from 24 cores)
- −13 TOPS NPU is modest
FAQ: Core i7-8700K vs Core Ultra 9 285K
Which is better, Core i7-8700K or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K scores 89 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 27. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Core i7-8700K worth the price? +
At $359, Core i7-8700K delivers a Specdex score of 62 — strongest in efficiency.
Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +
At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in multi.
Does Core i7-8700K or Core Ultra 9 285K last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is better for gaming, Core i7-8700K or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K — leads on gaming (85 vs 61). Frame-rate-bound workloads — favours cache and single-thread speed.
Which is better for creator and productivity work, Core i7-8700K or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K — leads on multi (94 vs 62). Rendering, compilation, heavy multitasking — favours core count.