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Verdict: Intel’s Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus deliver their clearest gains in the creator and encoding workloads covered on this page. The 270K Plus leads the review’s LAME XP and Blackmagic RAW comparisons, while both chips improve on their predecessors overall. Local-AI results are more mixed: high-clocked, single-CCD AMD processors lead several framework tests, and the AI benchmarks do not exercise every CPU core.
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core LGA1851 desktop processor (8 performance cores plus 16 efficiency cores) with a 5.5 GHz maximum turbo frequency. Intel lists 125 W processor base power, 250 W maximum turbo power and 36 MB of Smart Cache. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has 18 cores (6P+12E); Intel says both Plus models add four E-cores over their predecessors.
What the Plus models change
Intel attributes the refresh to higher die-to-die frequency and its Intel Binary Optimization Tool. Those are Intel’s explanations for the uplift, not a guarantee that every application or game will scale by the same amount. ComputerBase’s separate 2026 application testing provides useful context: it measured an 18% multi-core rating increase for the 270K Plus over the 265K and 26% for the 250K Plus over the 245K. Those percentages belong to ComputerBase’s test suite and configuration, rather than to every workload or to HotHardware’s charts.
| Processor | Core layout | Platform details established in the review material |
|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | 24 cores: 8P + 16E; 24 threads | LGA1851; DDR5 support up to 7200 MT/s; 5.5 GHz maximum turbo; 36 MB Intel Smart Cache; 125 W base power; 250 W maximum turbo power; Intel listed suggested price range of $339–$349 when accessed in 2026 |
| Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | 18 cores: 6P + 12E | Intel says this model, like the 270K Plus, adds four E-cores over its predecessor; other specifications are not stated in the reviewed material |
Both processors require an LGA1851 motherboard and DDR5 memory. Before buying, check the board’s CPU-support list, required BIOS version and the memory kit’s compatibility list; a socket match alone does not establish support.
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- Next‑Gen Platform Support: Compatible with Intel 800 Series Chipset‑based motherboards with LGA1851 Socket enabling PCIe 5.0/4.0 and high‑speed DDR5 memory (up to 7200 MT/s).
- High‑Performance Core Configuration: Features up to 24 cores (8 P‑cores + 16 E‑cores) for demanding gaming and creator
- Ultra‑Fast Boost Clocks: Reaches up to 5.5 GHz max turbo frequency for top‑tier responsiveness and performance
- Built for Enthusiasts: Unlocked for performance tuning when paired with Intel Z‑series chipsets, making it ideal for overclockers and power users.
- Robust Power & Thermal Design: Engineered with 125W base power and 250W max turbo power to sustain high‑intensity
How the local-AI tests behave
UL Procyon AI Computer Vision
HotHardware describes this as a CPU-only test using integer precision. It does not use every available CPU core, so cache bandwidth and latency can matter as much as total core count. The Plus processors beat their predecessors in the review’s results, but high-clocked AMD single-CCD chips stand out in the relevant comparisons. Treat this as a narrow computer-vision workload, not a general-purpose AI score.
Geekbench AI
Geekbench AI reports geometric means across multiple runs at FP32, FP16 and INT8 precision. The review again finds the Plus parts ahead of the original models, while AMD’s higher-clocked single-CCD processors lead with the ONNX and OpenVINO frameworks. Precision and framework therefore change the ranking; collapsing these results into one “AI performance” number would be misleading.
HotHardware also characterizes the original and Plus 200S processors as featuring a Meteor Lake-class NPU. The AI results discussed here are CPU benchmark results, so they should not be read as measurements of NPU or GPU throughput.
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- Supports PCIe 5.0 and 4.0 and DDR5
- Supports motherboards with Intel 800 series chipset
- 125W processor-based power
- 40MB L2 Cache
Audio encoding: a narrow win for the 270K Plus
For its custom LAME XP test, HotHardware converted 24 copies of a 223 MB WAV file with the multi-thread-capable encoder; shorter processing time is better. In the written comparison, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus narrowly beat the Core Ultra 9 285K, and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus beat the Core Ultra 5 245K. The result reflects this batch conversion and its test settings, not every audio codec or project.
Blackmagic RAW and 8K decode
The Blackmagic RAW Speed Test evaluates 8K decoding at two bitrate/compression levels. HotHardware reports that both Plus chips perform well against the original 200S processors: the 270K Plus leads the comparison, while the 250K Plus delivers performance above what its tier suggests. The text extract does not expose the chart’s numerical scores, so no exact frame-rate margin can be stated.
Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve creator workloads
PugetBench for Photoshop
The Photoshop suite covers practical operations including opening and saving files, applying filters and manipulating high-resolution images. HotHardware presents the Plus processors in its comparison, but the available article text does not provide the plotted scores. That supports a qualitative comparison only, not a precise percentage advantage.
Rank #3
- 20 cores (8 P-cores + 12 E-cores) and 20 threads. Integrated Intel Graphics included
- Performance hybrid architecture integrates two core microarchitectures, prioritizing and distributing workloads to optimize performance
- Up to 5.3 GHz. 36 MB Cache
- Compatible with Intel 800 series chipset-based motherboards
- Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0, and PCIe 5.0 & 4.0 support. Intel Optane Memory support. No thermal solution included
PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve adds a broader creator workload than a single encode: timeline interaction, effects and export behavior can stress different parts of a system. The review introduces the PugetBench test and compares the CPUs, but its text extract likewise omits chart values. Buyers should therefore use the review’s directional findings alongside their own application, media format and GPU configuration rather than infer an exact Plus-model margin.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What these results mean for a build
Choose the 270K Plus for sustained mixed creation
The 270K Plus combines the larger core count with the strongest qualitative showing in the review’s LAME XP and Blackmagic RAW comparisons. It is the more defensible choice when your workload mixes CPU encoding, RAW-video decode and heavily threaded creator applications, provided your cooling and motherboard power delivery are sized for a 250 W maximum turbo limit.
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The 250K Plus adds four E-cores over the previous generation and beats the 245K in the cited LAME XP comparison. ComputerBase’s 26% multi-core rating gain over the 245K is a substantial result in that outlet’s configuration, but application-specific scaling still varies. It suits buyers who want improved threaded throughput without moving to the 270K Plus tier.
Rank #4
- Get ultra-efficient with Intel Core Ultra desktop processors that improve both performance and efficiency so your PC can run cooler, quieter, and quicker.
- Core and Threads 24 cores (8 P-cores plus 16 E-cores) and 24 threads. Integrated Intel Graphics included
- Performance Hybrid Architecture Integrates two core microarchitectures, prioritizing and distributing workloads to optimize performance
- Performance Unlocked Up to 5.7 GHz unlocked. 40MB Cache
- Compatibility Compatible with Intel 800 series chipset-based motherboards
Do not treat the AI results as a universal ranking
Because Procyon does not use all cores and Geekbench AI changes behavior by precision and framework, neither suite alone predicts every local-AI workflow. Identify whether your software uses ONNX, OpenVINO or another runtime, and whether it runs FP32, FP16 or INT8, before using these results to choose a CPU.
Where Intel’s gaming claim fits
Intel’s launch disclosure claims up to 15% geometric-mean gaming performance improvement across 38 games at 1080p High versus the Core Ultra 7 265K, with the Intel Binary Optimization Tool enabled where supported. Intel also says results vary. That is a vendor claim from the launch material, not a measurement from HotHardware’s page-3 creator and AI tests, so it should not be substituted for independent gaming data.
Bottom line for page 3 workloads
The Plus refresh is most convincing when the job is threaded creation or media processing. The 270K Plus posts the strongest qualitative results in the included encoding and RAW-video comparisons, while the 250K Plus offers a meaningful generational step in multi-core-oriented work. AI performance is workload-dependent, and the review does not establish exact Photoshop or Resolve score margins from the text alone. Build decisions should therefore start with your applications, memory and motherboard compatibility, then use these results as workload-specific evidence rather than a single all-purpose ranking.
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