Core Ultra 5 245K
Arrow Lake · 14C/14T · 125 W · LGA1851
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
64C/128T · 5.4 GHz · 350 W · sTR5 · PassMark #11
Core Ultra 5 245K takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Core Ultra 5 245K lands at 81 and Ryzen Threadripper 9980X at 80. That puts Core Ultra 5 245K ahead by 1 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Core Ultra 5 245K if…
- ✓Strong per-core performance
- ✓Hybrid P/E cores (12th gen+)
- ✓Wide platform availability
Pick Ryzen Threadripper 9980X if…
- ✓PassMark rank #11 — strong productivity throughput
- ✓HEDT platform with abundant PCIe and memory lanes
- ✓Current PassMark-tracked street price around $4,399
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testValue for money
Core Ultra 5 245KSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Core Ultra 5 245K more score per dollar ($309 vs $4,999).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Core Ultra 5 245K | Ryzen Threadripper 9980X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Arrow Lake | — |
| Cores | 14 | ▲ 64 |
| Threads | 14 | ▲ 128 |
| TDP | 125 W | 350 W |
| Socket | LGA1851 | sTR5 |
| Release year | 2024 | — |
| Base clock | — | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | — | 5.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 256 MB |
| Platform | — | TRX50 |
| Memory | — | 4-channel DDR5-6400 ECC RDIMM, up to 1TB |
| PCIe | — | 48x PCIe 5.0 + 32x PCIe 4.0 from CPU (80 CPU lanes) + chipset x4 uplink |
| PassMark rank | — | #11 of 5,901 |
| PassMark CPU Mark | — | 142,812 |
Core Ultra 5 245K
- +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
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
- +PassMark rank #11 — strong productivity throughput
- +HEDT platform with abundant PCIe and memory lanes
- +Current PassMark-tracked street price around $4,399
- −HEDT motherboards and cooling raise total platform cost
FAQ: Core Ultra 5 245K vs Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Which is better, Core Ultra 5 245K or Ryzen Threadripper 9980X? +
Core Ultra 5 245K scores 81 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 1. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Core Ultra 5 245K worth the price? +
At $309, Core Ultra 5 245K delivers a Specdex score of 81 — strongest in single.
Is Ryzen Threadripper 9980X worth the price? +
At $4,999, Ryzen Threadripper 9980X delivers a Specdex score of 80 — strongest in passmark.
Does Core Ultra 5 245K or Ryzen Threadripper 9980X 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 the better value, Core Ultra 5 245K or Ryzen Threadripper 9980X? +
Core Ultra 5 245K — more score per dollar ($309 vs $4,999). Specdex score per dollar at MSRP.