Ultra 9 285K vs Ultra 5 245K

The Ultra 9 285K is about 4% faster at 1440p. Whether that is worth it depends on the rest of your build.

The gap changes with resolution.

CPU differences shrink as resolution rises — at 4K the graphics card does most of the work.

In a real build with a RTX 3080.

Specs alone don’t tell you which to buy. Here is what each one does when it’s actually paired up, at 1440p.

So which should you buy?

The Ultra 9 285K is faster, but the Ultra 5 245K is the better buy per dollar. Take the Ultra 9 285K only if you want the extra headroom and the price gap doesn't bother you.

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Common questions.

Straight answers on the Ultra 9 285K versus the Ultra 5 245K.

• Is the Ultra 9 285K better than the Ultra 5 245K?

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  Yes, but by less than the spec sheet suggests. At 1440p the Ultra 9 285K scores 100 against 96 for the Ultra 5 245K — roughly 4% faster. It also costs about $270 more at MSRP, so the question is whether that gap is worth the money for your build.

• Does the Ultra 9 285K or Ultra 5 245K bottleneck a RTX 3080?

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  Paired with a RTX 3080 at 1440p, the Ultra 9 285K build comes out 4% GPU-bound, and the Ultra 5 245K build comes out 2% GPU-bound. Being GPU-bound is the healthy outcome — it means the graphics card is the part working hardest.

• Is it worth upgrading from the Ultra 5 245K to the Ultra 9 285K?

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  Only if you are also lifting the rest of the build. The Ultra 9 285K is about 4% ahead at 1440p, and gaps like that shrink further at 4K where the GPU does more of the work. If you are upgrading from the Ultra 5 245K purely for frames, check the pairing first.

• Which is better value, the Ultra 9 285K or the Ultra 5 245K?

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  On performance per dollar at MSRP, the Ultra 5 245K wins. The Ultra 9 285K lists at $589 for an index of 100, and the Ultra 5 245K at $319 for 96.