Intel Core Ultra 5 245K

In short, the Core Ultra 5 245K (and by extension the Core Ultra 200S series) isn’t a bad processor and if you’re an Intel loyalist or simply prefers to build an Intel platform, there’s a lot to like about the Core Ultra 200S series – even if it could take a little while for Intel to fix some of its performance issues with Windows 11. Growing pains is to be expected now that Intel has moved into a completely different, chiplet-based architecture design.

The Core Ultra 5 245K is more energy efficient and runs cooler than its predecessor, but its CPU performance is a mixed bag, and its gaming performance disappoints.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K offers decent performance at a considerable price range. It is equipped with the latest architecture and has great power efficiency. Moreover, it delivers satisfactory performance in multi-core tasks and handles everyday applications smoothly. However, its gaming performance, while adequate, doesn’t quite match up to competitors in the same price range. Therefore, users seeking balanced productivity can consider this an option. However, gamers should look elsewhere for better performance in highly demanding games.

Con los datos y el precio sobre la mesa ¿merece la pena comprar esta CPU? En rendimiento/precio, es mejor opción en gama media que el 285K en gama alta. Obviando la eficiencia, es una gran compra para un equipo que se desenvuelva bien en todos los ámbitos, con más potencia bruta que las CPU de AMD, y pese a dar menos FPS en juegos, la diferencia es residual. Entonces, podemos recomendarla en gama media.

The Core Ultra 5 245K falls short in gaming, compared to the competition and previous generation of Intel chips, but if content creation and low energy consumption are important to you, then the little Arrow Lake is worth a look.

Los Core i5 siempre fueron buenos procesadores con los que contar para montar un ordenador muy versátil a precios muy adecuados. Esta generación añade eficiencia, nuevas prestaciones conectivas y nuevas unidades E-Core que producen rendimiento extra suficiente como para no echar de menos los seis hilos de proceso que perdemos con la caída en desgracia del hyperthreading de estos nuevos núcleos P-Core.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is a solid mid-range option if you’re looking for performance-per-watt and power efficiency – Ryzen’s efficiency is truly outdone this time around.

Intel's new Core Ultra Series 2 might seem unusual to some enthusiasts, with gamers expecting a generational leap that was never actually promised. Instead, we get a productivity breakthrough with a dedicated NPU finally making its way to desktops as power efficiency becomes the overall target in this generation. Ultimately, the Core Ultra 5 245KF looks like the best deal for a budget pick since the Xe2-LPG Plus iGPU isn't strong enough to be useful outside of absolute necessity. Still, the price difference is small enough that it's easy to recommend the 245K if you can afford the motherboard and RAM.

The 245K model offers nice performance improvements with its 14 cores and includes AI capabilities. However, desktop processors like this often appeal to gamers. Given the power consumption and heat generation, the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000X3D or 7000 X3D may be better options for gaming. When focusing on content creation instead of gaming, the Core Ultra 5 245K becomes more attractive.

I had high hopes for Arrow Lake, and of the two current-gen processor lines, it beats out archrival AMD's Ryzen 9000 series, which is a positive. However, the new Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K really aren't any better than the chips they are replacing, and their efficiency gains are too modest to justify investing in a whole new platform.