Apple M3 (8-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
69.8Single-core79
43.3Multi-core86.8
93.3Efficiencyspec-based44.4
—iGPU60.5
35Platformspec-based73.9
0 spec wins — Apple M3 (8-core)12 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 57.6, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+44) and single-core (+9). Apple M3 (8-core) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M3 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Stronger single-core score: 79 vs 70
- Stronger multi-core score: 87 vs 43
- 967% higher Max memory: 256 GB vs 24 GB
- 300% higher Efficiency cores: 16 vs 4
- 281% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 39,617 vs 10,400
General
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 55 W |
| Max TDP | — | 160 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 24+200% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 8+100% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 16+300% |
| Threads | 8 | 24+200% |
| Base clock | — | 2.7 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.1 GHz | 5.5 GHz+36% |
| L3 cache | — | 36 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,000 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | DDR5-6400 |
| Max memory | 24 GB | 256 GB+967% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,090Top 13% | 3,198+3%Top 9% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 11,700Top 49% | 21,581+84%Top 7% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,900Top 29% | 2,340+23%Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 10,400Bottom 41% | 39,617+281%Top 1% |
| PassMark | 19,056Bottom 46% | 58,672+208%Top 1% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 1,855Top 37% |
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