Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX
24C/48T · 5.4 GHz · 350 W · sTR5 · PassMark #55
Core Ultra 9 285K takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Core Ultra 9 285K lands at 89 and Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX at 52. That puts Core Ultra 9 285K ahead by 37 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…
- ✓Far more efficient than 14900K
- ✓Strong multi-thread productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Pick Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX if…
- ✓PassMark #55 of 5,901 — capable workhorse
- ✓Workstation-tier core counts for rendering and compilation
- ✓Current PassMark-tracked street price around $2,699
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testValue for money
Core Ultra 9 285KSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Core Ultra 9 285K more score per dollar ($589 vs $2,899).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Core Ultra 9 285K | Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24 (8P + 16E) | 24 |
| Threads | 24 | ▲ 48 |
| Base clock | 3.7 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 5.7 GHz | 5.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | ▲ 128 MB |
| TDP | 125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2) | 350 W |
| Socket | LGA1851 | sTR5 |
| Process | TSMC N3B | — |
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) | — |
| NPU | 13 TOPS | — |
| Memory | DDR5-6400 | ▲ 8-channel DDR5-6400 ECC RDIMM, up to 2TB (on WRX90) |
| Platform | — | WRX90 or TRX50 |
| PCIe | — | 128x PCIe 5.0 + 8x PCIe 4.0 from CPU (on WRX90) |
| PassMark rank | — | #55 of 5,901 |
| PassMark CPU Mark | — | 92,697 |
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
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX
- +PassMark #55 of 5,901 — capable workhorse
- +Workstation-tier core counts for rendering and compilation
- +Current PassMark-tracked street price around $2,699
- −Workstation platform — overkill for gaming-only builds
FAQ: Core Ultra 9 285K vs Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX
Which is better, Core Ultra 9 285K or Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX? +
Core Ultra 9 285K scores 89 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 37. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +
At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in multi.
Is Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX worth the price? +
At $2,899, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX delivers a Specdex score of 52 — strongest in passmark.
Does Core Ultra 9 285K or Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX 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 9 285K or Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX? +
Core Ultra 9 285K — more score per dollar ($589 vs $2,899). Specdex score per dollar at MSRP.