Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Intel Core 7 230H
79Single-core58.7
86.8Multi-core49.8
44.4Efficiencyspec-based40.5
60.5iGPU—
73.9Platformspec-based58.6
13 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus1 spec wins — Intel Core 7 230H
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 52.2, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+37) and single-core (+20). Intel Core 7 230H still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Stronger single-core score: 79 vs 59
- Stronger multi-core score: 87 vs 50
- 300% higher Efficiency cores: 16 vs 4
- 167% higher Max memory: 256 GB vs 96 GB
- 140% higher cores: 24 vs 10
Reasons to pick the Intel Core 7 230H
- 18% lower Base TDP: 45 W vs 55 W
General
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | 55 W | 45 W+18% |
| Max TDP | 160 W+39% | 115 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24+140% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 8+33% | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 16+300% | 4 |
| Threads | 24+50% | 16 |
| Base clock | 2.7 GHz+8% | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock | 5.5 GHz+6% | 5.2 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB+50% | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) | — |
| iGPU clock | 2,000 MHz | — |
Memory
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR5-6400 | DDR5-5200 / LPDDR5/X-6400 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 256 GB+167% | 96 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,198+17%Top 10% | 2,738Top 34% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 21,581+77%Top 8% | 12,200Top 45% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,340Top 2% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 39,617Top 1% | — |
| PassMark | 58,672+127%Top 1% | 25,884Top 30% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 1,855Top 37% | — |
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