Windows Central90
Leads in productivity and is very efficient, but gaming is unremarkable and AMD's X3D chips are better for gamers.
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
6 expert reviews#5 of 5 processors
Image: Intel0/6critics
recommend
recommend
Best for efficient productivity work
Critics’ consensus
6 professional reviewers tested the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, and 0 recommend it. Most praised: speed. Most common complaint: price.
Reviewed by Windows Central, PCMag, Digital Trends and 3 more
The catch: Gaming performance is uneven and it needs a new platform.
One critic is far keener
Scores run from 70 to 905 printed scores, 1 estimated · printed scores only: 76Windows Central's review has no printed score; we read it as 90/100. The other 5 average 72.
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What do critics say about the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?
PCMag80
Lower power use and good platform upgrades, but performance swings between excellent and weak depending on the task.
Digital Trends70
A radically different, highly efficient chip that impresses technically but disappoints for gaming and delivers uneven productivity results.
TechRadar70
Capable and somewhat more efficient chips, but they lack a standout reason to buy and are worse for gaming than their predecessors.
Club38670
A redesigned chip that is more efficient but performs about the same as the previous generation.
Notebookcheck71est.
Intel's flagship brings real efficiency gains and productivity performance on par with its predecessor, but gaming is disappointing.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
What critics praise most
Speed2 of 6
What critics dislike most
Price2 of 6
Alternatives
Not sure about the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?
Photo coming
Best overall
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D89
11 reviews · broad agreement
Image: AMDPhoto coming
Best for lots of cores for the money
Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus81
4 reviews · broad agreementPhoto coming
Best for gamers who want a little more than the 9800X3D
AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D80
8 reviews · critics splitCommon questions
Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K worth it?
Critics are divided: 0 of 6 recommend it. Gaming performance is uneven and it needs a new platform.
Do critics agree about the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?
One critic is far keener: scores range from 70 (Digital Trends) to 90 (Windows Central), a spread of 20 points across 6 reviews. Windows Central's review has no printed score; we read it as 90/100. The other 5 average 72.
What do critics dislike about the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?
Price (2 of 6 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (critic score 89), best overall.