The entry-level Arrow Lake desktop chip looks like an ideal chip for gaming and productivity.
Intel Core Ultra 3 205 Scores Higher Single-Core Score Than Ultra 5 225 and Ryzen 5 9600X, but Noticeably Slower in Multi-Threaded Operations
Last week, we spotted the Intel Core Ultra 3 205T chip on PassMark for the first time, and this time, it's the non-T variant. Intel Core Ultra 200S series isn't just made up of the Core Ultra 200K and KF variants, but also brings several budget-friendly options. Unfortunately, a lot of them didn't hit the market as a standalone product, and the Intel Core Ultra 3 205/T appears to follow the same path.
The Core Ultra 3 205T was able to beat the Ultra 5 225T in the single-core test on PassMark, and a similar trend continues with the Core Ultra 3 205 processor. As spotted by @x86deadandback, this is the first-ever entry for the Ultra 3 205 on PassMark since its launch. We did see the processor in various benchmarks last year, but as it remains an OEM-exclusive, detailed reviews remain largely unavailable. Thankfully, the PassMark numbers have revealed the CPU's prowess, and here's what you can expect from it:
As you can see, the processor is slightly ahead of its bigger sibling, the Core Ultra 5 225. It's not a big gap, but it is still noticeable. Even when compared to AMD's best budget chips from the Ryzen 9000 lineup, the Ultra 3 205 appears to be doing very well. The multicore performance is satisfactory as well, delivering slightly lower scores than the other budget chips. It's expected as it only brings 8 cores and 8 threads, comprising a 4 P-Cores + 4 E-Cores configuration. With no hyper-threading, the chip is still able to deliver over 26,000 points.
This is equivalent to the multi-threaded score of Core Ultra 5 225T (10-core chip), which is locked at 35W. Core Ultra 3 205 doesn't have that power constraint and boasts a higher 65W TDP. Compared to the Ultra 3 205T variant (35W chip), the Ultra 3 205 is nearly 12% faster, but the performance gap in single-threaded performance numbers isn't too high. That said, with such performance, the Ultra 3 205 appears to be an excellent chip for the budget gaming rigs, especially for a sub-$150 price, as we saw in earlier listings. Unfortunately, Intel didn't decide to proceed with a regular launch even though the $100-$150 price range direly needs more competitors.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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