Intel Core i9-10900K vs Core Ultra 5 225F tested at 1080p

A new gaming benchmark compares Intel’s former flagship Core i9-10900K with the modern Core Ultra 5 225F, focusing on CPU-limited performance at 1080p.

Both processors were paired with NVIDIA’s flagship GeForce RTX 5090, ensuring that the GPU was not the bottleneck and that differences came down primarily to CPU architecture and efficiency.

1080p Gaming Results (RTX 5090)

Across a range of modern titles, the Core Ultra 5 225F delivered higher frame rates in nearly every test:

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: 110 FPS (i9-10900K) vs 138 FPS (Ultra 5 225F)
• Cyberpunk 2077: 80 FPS vs 90 FPS
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: 60 FPS vs 74 FPS
• Dying Light: The Beast: 210 FPS vs 229 FPS
• CS2: 463 FPS vs 516 FPS
• Hogwarts Legacy: 38 FPS vs 44 FPS
• The Last of Us Part II: 152 FPS vs 151 FPS
• Ghost of Tsushima: 135 FPS vs 161 FPS
• Silent Hill f: 104 FPS vs 138 FPS
• Red Dead Redemption 2: 145 FPS vs 164 FPS

With the exception of The Last of Us Part II, where performance was effectively identical, the newer CPU maintained a clear lead.

Despite being a former high-end processor, the Core i9-10900K is now outpaced by Intel’s midrange Core Ultra 5 225F in modern 1080p gaming. Architectural improvements, higher IPC, and better efficiency allow the newer chip to deliver noticeably higher frame rates in most titles.

Five years later, Intel’s mainstream CPUs have effectively caught up to — and surpassed — yesterday’s flagships.

Source: Testing Games