Core Ultra 9 285K Review
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
Specdex verdict Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K is a solid premium pick — strongly recommended, even if it doesn't unseat the category leaders.
Intel's Arrow Lake flagship on LGA1851 — 24 cores (8P+16E), 5.7 GHz boost, far more efficient than the 14900K. Strong productivity; gaming regresses in some titles.
Specdex doesn't run benchmarks in-house. The verdict is an editorial assessment based on manufacturer specs and public reviewer consensus. See methodology.
Core Ultra 9 285K versus its closest rivals
- +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
Who's the Core Ultra 9 285K for?
Quick verdicts for the most common buyer profiles, derived from the sub-scores above.
Compute scores trail current top-tier — look at our step-up alternatives below if performance is the priority.
Mid-tier pricing at $589 — review whether the score-per-dollar lines up against the cheaper alternatives we recommend.
In the box
What you get when you unbox the Core Ultra 9 285K.
- Processor
- Cooler (non-X3D / non-K SKUs)
Standard contents — region/SKU may vary; confirm at retailer.
Sources & benchmarks
Cited, not generatedMulti-sample composite benchmark from PassMark — independent, third-party measurement. Higher is better. Specdex does not run this test; the number above is PassMark's published score, linked to the source page above for verification.
Specifications
Verified against Intel · 2026-05-11| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Cores | 24 (8P + 16E) |
| Threads | 24 |
| L3 cache | 36 MB |
| TDP | 125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2) |
| Process | TSMC N3B |
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) |
| Memory | DDR5-6400 |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Boost clock | 5.7 GHz |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Base clock | 3.7 GHz |
| Socket | LGA1851 |
| NPU | 13 TOPS |
Cheaper alternatives to the Core Ultra 9 285K
Same category, at least 20% cheaper, best-scoring picks from our catalog.
Step up from the Core Ultra 9 285K
Higher-scoring processors if you've got more to spend.
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Also consider
Where the Core Ultra 9 285K appears on Specdex
Curated lists, spec rankings, and buying guides where this product is mentioned or ranked.