Core Ultra 3 205 flaunts 30% higher multi-core performance over Core i3-14100 in early benchmarks — extra E-cores seemingly contribute to uplift

Performance benchmarks surrounding Intel's upcoming entry-level Core Ultra 3 205 have surfaced, showing considerable multi-core improvements over Intel's current-gen Core i3. Spotted by Benchleaks on X, the new eight-core Arrow Lake-S CPU delivers 30% superior multi-core performance compared to the Core i3-14100 in Geekbench 6.

Benchleaks discovered two Geekbench 6 listings. One boasts a single-core result of 2,664 points and a multi-core result of 9,935 points. The other features a single-core score of 2,635 points and a multi-core score of 9,767 points.

The two Core Ultra 3 205 benchmark scores demonstrate a huge multi-core performance boost over its predecessor, the Core i3-14100. The Core Ultra 3 205 is 11% faster in single-core and 30% faster in multi-core, achieving 2,394 points and 7,666 points, respectively, in Geekbench 6's single- and multi-core tests.

Core Ultra 3 205 Benchmarks

The extra performance can be attributed to not only Intel's newer Arrow Lake architecture, but also the inclusion of four additional Skymount E-cores. The Core Ultra 3 205 is Intel's first entry-level eight-core CPU, sporting four Lion Cove P-Cores and four Skymont E-cores. Technically, both the 205 and i3-14100 have eight threads; however, the 205 forgoes Hyper-Threading due to design changes in the Arrow Lake architecture.

Despite these advances, the Core Ultra 3 205 might struggle in the entry-level CPU market. The revealed overseas pricing appears to be $150, and assuming launch-day pricing adheres to this price, the 205 will likely compete directly with older mid-range parts from AMD and Intel.

Chips like AMD's Ryzen 5 7600 and even Intel's previous-generation Core i5-14400 are regularly discounted to around $150 but feature superior multi-core performance, at least in Geekbench. For example, the Ryzen 5 7600 is a two-generation-old six-core part from AMD, yet the chip boasts a multi-core score of 12,230 points, 23% higher than the Ultra 3 part.

Worse still, the Core Ultra 3 205 will also have to contend with Arrow Lake's gaming performance regressions compared to Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh). Gaming is a big part of the entry-level PC market, and this will make previous-generation mid-range parts from AMD and Intel even more competitive against the 205.

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