Core Ultra 9 285K vs Ryzen 5 4500
Short answer: which is best?
Core Ultra 9 285K is 127.7 % stronger than Ryzen 5 4500. Core Ultra 9 285K ranks #3 of 105 measured processors at WhatFPS (15,519 CPU score in its best run — 1 rig, 1 verified run). Ryzen 5 4500 ranks #70 of 105 measured processors at WhatFPS (6,817 CPU score in its best run — 1 rig, 1 verified run). Each part is shown at its best run, picked from 2 verified WhatFPS runs — measured, not estimated, not self-reported.
Measured comparison
| Metric | Core Ultra 9 285K | Ryzen 5 4500 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU score, best run (the processor's own performance) | 15,519 | 6,817 |
| Best rig (GAMING — whole PC) | 11,994 | 4,954 |
| Integer (MT) | 12.7 Gop/s | 3.8 Gop/s |
| Single-thread (1T) | 0.95 Gop/s | 0.49 Gop/s |
| Draw calls/s (DX11) | 11,963,538 | 7,131,766 |
| Cores / threads | 24 / 24 | 6 / 12 |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | 8 MB |
Fragz' verdict
The Core Ultra 9 285K decisively beats the Ryzen 5 4500, leading by a massive 127.7% in overall CPU score. This significant performance gap is clear in crucial gaming tests, with the Core Ultra 9 285K delivering nearly double the single-thread performance at 0.95 Gop/s and hitting 99.8 FPS in our Supernova DX11 scene, far surpassing the Ryzen 5 4500's 0.49 Gop/s and 59.5 FPS. Its 24 cores, 24 threads, and higher peak clock of 5334 MHz also contribute to its lead in multi-threaded integer operations and draw calls per second, indicating a much higher FPS ceiling and better handling of background tasks for gamers. However, with only one verified run for each processor, the sample size is thin, and these results should be considered with that uncertainty in mind. Based purely on these performance numbers, the Core Ultra 9 285K is the overwhelmingly stronger choice.
Generated November 7, 2026 from the 2 verified runs available then. The verdict is never silently rewritten — new numbers get a new verdict.
What the numbers mean
The headline score is the part's best measured run, and the measurements under it come from that same run. It shows what the part has been proven to do — not what an average rig gets out of it. The CPU score is the processor's own performance — that is what we rank on. GAMING is the whole rig's score in the best PC we measured the processor in, and leans heavily on the graphics card. A strong processor in a weak PC gets a low GAMING score without being worse. We show both and never mix them.
All numbers come from our benchmark suite: four hand-built 3D scenes written directly against the graphics APIs in Rust, the same load on every PC. The methodology is open at https://whatfps.com/metodik
All measurements for Core Ultra 9 285K · All measurements for Ryzen 5 4500