Intel Core Ultra 3 205 Delivers Massive Multi-Core Gains Over Core i3-14100

Intel’s Core Ultra 3 205 has made headlines as one of the most surprising entries in the budget CPU segment, bringing performance gains that push the entry-level lineup far beyond what we’ve come to expect from Intel’s Core 3 series. Early reviews, particularly from Bulls Lab in Korea, suggest that this chip delivers as much as a 48% uplift in multi-core performance compared to the Core i3-14100, a difference that finally makes the Core 3 family competitive with more expensive processors.

At the heart of this improvement lies a major shift in architecture.

Unlike the Core i3-14100, which is limited to four cores and eight threads via Hyper-Threading, the Core Ultra 3 205 introduces a hybrid setup: four Performance cores paired with four Efficient cores. That essentially doubles the physical core count and provides a far stronger foundation for multi-threaded workloads such as rendering, compiling, and multitasking-heavy environments. The Cinebench R23 tests reflect this, showing the Ultra 3 205 almost rivaling the entry-level Core Ultra 5 225, despite the latter offering two additional cores. While single-threaded numbers weren’t published in the early review, no one expects the leap there to be as drastic – but the progress in multi-core throughput alone is striking.

The integrated graphics story is equally intriguing. Intel equipped the Core Ultra 3 205 with Xe-based iGPU cores clocked up to 1800 MHz, a significant improvement over the dated UHD 730 graphics inside the Core i3-14100. In 3DMark Time Spy, the difference is night and day: a 75% uplift over the UHD solution, putting the Ultra 3 205’s graphics on par with the Ultra 5 225. That means lightweight gaming, media playback, and even some creative workloads can benefit without forcing users to buy a discrete GPU. For anyone building a compact PC or HTPC on a budget, this matters.

Pricing, however, could be the real make-or-break factor. If Intel manages to keep the Core Ultra 3 205 near $120, it might become the sweet spot for students, office machines, or budget desktops where efficiency and decent graphics matter. Yet critics are quick to point out the trade-offs: new motherboards are required, compatibility will likely be limited to a single generation, and competing chips like the Core i5-14400F, often priced around $130–$140, bring 10 cores and 16 threads along with superior gaming potential. In that light, the Ultra 3 205 feels more like an experiment in rebranding entry-level silicon than a slam-dunk winner.

Still, for once, the Core 3 series no longer feels like a relic. It has genuine muscle for multi-threaded tasks, respectable integrated graphics, and a design that reflects Intel’s hybrid-core strategy even at the lowest tiers. Whether that’s enough to sway budget builders depends on final retail pricing and whether buyers can stomach the cost of a new motherboard for what may only be a one-generation socket. For now, the Ultra 3 205 signals that Intel is finally giving attention to the bottom of its lineup, even if skeptics remain unconvinced.