Ultra 5 245K vs i3-8121U

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1699	175
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	no data	78.55
Market segment	Laptop	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i3	no data
Power efficiency	9.33	20.94
Architecture codename	Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)
Release date	5 May 2018 (6 years ago)	24 October 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	no data	$309

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	2 (Dual-core)	14 (Tetradeca-Core)
Performance-cores	no data	6
Efficient-cores	no data	8
Threads	4	14
Base clock speed	2.2 GHz	4.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.2 GHz	5.2 GHz
Bus type	OPI	no data
Bus rate	4 GT/s	159 MHz
Multiplier	22	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	112 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	3 MB (per core)
L3 cache	4 MB (shared)	24 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	10 nm	3 nm
Die size	123 mm2	243 mm2
Maximum core temperature	105 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	17,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1 (Uniprocessor)	1
Socket	Intel BGA1440	FCLGA1851
Power consumption (TDP)	15 Watt	125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
QuickAssist	-	no data
Speed Shift	+	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
SIPP	-	+
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
HD Audio	+	no data
RST	+	no data
Deep Learning Boost	-	+
Supported AI Software Frameworks	-	OpenVINO™, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX RT, WebNN

Security technologies

Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
MPX	+	-
SGX	-	no data
OS Guard	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
VT-i	-	no data
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR5-6400
Maximum memory size	32 GB	192 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	38.397 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Iris Pro Plus	Intel® Graphics
Quick Sync Video	-	+
Graphics max frequency	no data	1.9 GHz

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

4

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4K @ 60Hz (HDMI 2.1 TMDS) 8K @ 60Hz (HDMI2.1 FRL)
Max resolution over eDP	no data	4K @ 60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	8K @ 60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	12
OpenGL	no data	4.5

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	20

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	2.76	27.66
Recency	5 May 2018	24 October 2024
Physical cores	2	14
Threads	4	14
Chip lithography	10 nm	3 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	15 Watt	125 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-8121U and Core Ultra 5 245K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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