Intel Core i5-14400F vs Ultra 5 225F: Which is better for budget gaming?

Most gamers building budget gaming PCs in late 2025 are faced with two primary Intel options: the Core i5-14400F and the Ultra 5 225F. Given AMD's rather weak standing in the $200 market and cheaper boards from Team Blue, these processors make the most sense for those operating on strict budgets. However, is the new Ultra 5 lineup worth buying for budget gaming? What is the difference in gaming framerates when compared to the popular Core i5?

In this article, we have dissected the two gaming chips from Team Blue, going over their specs and performance differences, followed by an analysis of the value each represents. Read on to find out the ideal budget gaming CPU in 2025.

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The Core i5-14400F and Ultra 5 225F both target entry-level gaming PCs

The Core i5-14400F continues to be a top choice among budget gamers (Image via Intel/Amazon)

The chips share a ton in common: 10 cores bifurcated in a 6P + 4E design, similar 65W TDP, 20 MB Intel Smart Cache, and a ~$200 launch MSRP. However, hyperthreading is gone with the newer U5 225F, meaning you get 10 threads instead of 16. This is part of wider push at Intel to increase efficiency given E cores render multiple logic threads meaningless.

Moreover, the newer processor clocks 200 MHz faster while also drawing 27W less power. This gives more headroom for high-FPS gaming, and eliminates a few CPU-bounded scenarios. The new Arrow Lake family also ships with AI and Deep Learning chiplets on-board, meaning better handling of textures and encoding workloads. While its impact on gaming would be small, expect better CPU-GPU coordination.

Here's a detailed side-by-side comparison of the specs details:

Spec (gaming relevance)	Intel Core i5-14400F	Intel Core Ultra 5-225F
Microarchitecture / Gen	14th Gen Raptor-Lake	Arrow Lake / Core Ultra series
Cores (P + E)	6 P-cores + 4 E-cores (10 cores total)	6 P-cores + 4 E-cores (10 cores total)
Threads (total)	16 threads (hyperthreading on P-cores + E-cores behavior)	10 threads (P cores only hyperthreaded)
P-core max boost (single-thread gaming relevance)	Up to 4.70 GHz	Up to 4.90 GHz (slightly higher single-core boost)
E-core max boost	3.5 GHz	4.4 GHz (higher E-core boost)
L3 Cache (game dataset locality)	20 MB Intel Smart Cache (total cache listed 29.5 MB on some vendor pages)	20 MB Intel Smart Cache (L2 / L3 reported together on reviews)
Base TDP (platform cooling)	65 W (stock)	65 W (stock) — Turbo/PL2 higher for short bursts
Maximum Turbo Power (sustained turbo headroom)	Up to 148 W (product page lists PL2 / turbo power)	~121 W (Turbo power limit listed by vendors / reviews)
Integrated graphics	None (F suffix — requires discrete GPU)	None (225F — also requires a discrete GPU)
Memory support	DDR4 & DDR5 (check motherboard)	DDR5
PCIe (GPU lanes/platform)	PCIe 5.0 support on compatible boards	PCIe 5.0 on Arrow Lake platforms (board dependent)
On-chip AI / NPU (upscaling/AI game features)	No integrated AI NPU listed on the product page	AI features / NPU (~13 TOPS INT8)
Price	$149.99	$221

The i5-14400F, being the older chip, has become significantly cheaper in 2025. You can snag it for just $149.99 in today's market. However, the 225F, for now, is maintaining its launch MSRP of $221.

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Performance comparison

The Ultra 5 225F brings the latest architectural and performance improvements to budget gaming (Image via Intel/IB&H)

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the Core i5-14400F and Ultra 5 225F in some of the latest games at 1080p when paired with an RTX 5090. We sourced these numbers from the YouTube channel Testing Games.

	Core i5 14400F	Ultra 5 225F
Dying Light: The Beast	218 FPS	229 FPS
Silent Hill f	120 FPS	138 FPS
The Last of Us Part II	152 FPS	151 FPS
Counter-Strike 2	469 FPS	516 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	87 FPS	90 FPS
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II	128 FPS	138 FPS
PUBG	229 FPS	243 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2	150 FPS	163 FPS
Hogwarts Legacy	40 FPS	44 FPS
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2	67 FPS	74 FPS

On average, the Ultra 5 225F is 7.6% faster. Silent Hill f, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and Counter-Strike 2, games that demand CPU capabilities besides GPU-based rendering, show the largest gains at 15%, 10.4%, and 10% respectively.

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While the Ultra 5 is 7.5% faster than the older chip on average, it'll also cost you 47.3% more. In terms of performance-per-dollar, the i5-14400F comes at 1.10 FPS per $ while the newer 225F trails at just 0.80 FPS per $. Thus, the newer chip gives 27% worse performance per dollar spent.

The i5-14400F's much better value, higher thread count, and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory mean a lower upfront cost. This makes it the better option for budget builds. The $70 difference between the chips could make a GPU upgrade possible, which would impact gaming FPS more significantly. However, choose the Ultra 5 225F in 2025 for upgradability, better raw frame rates, and the newer platform.