Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Intel Core i3-1215U
79Single-core50.7
86.8Multi-core28.9
44.4Efficiencyspec-based75.3
60.5iGPU48.2
73.9Platformspec-based43.3
17 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus1 spec wins — Intel Core i3-1215U
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 45.4, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+58) and single-core (+28). Intel Core i3-1215U 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 51
- Stronger multi-core score: 87 vs 29
- Stronger iGPU score: 61 vs 48
- 665% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 39,617 vs 5,182
- 482% higher PassMark: 58,672 vs 10,082
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i3-1215U
- 73% lower Base TDP: 15 W vs 55 W
General
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2022 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | 55 W | 15 W+73% |
| Max TDP | 160 W+191% | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24+300% | 6 |
| Performance cores | 8+300% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 16+300% | 4 |
| Threads | 24+200% | 8 |
| Base clock | 2.7 GHz+125% | 1.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 5.5 GHz+25% | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB+260% | 10 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) | Intel UHD Graphics (64 EU) |
| iGPU clock | 2,000 MHz | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR5-6400 | LPDDR5-5200 / DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 256 GB+300% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,198+54%Top 11% | 2,082Bottom 24% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 21,581+314%Top 9% | 5,213Bottom 10% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,340+55%Top 3% | 1,512Bottom 32% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 39,617+665%Top 2% | 5,182Bottom 16% |
| PassMark | 58,672+482%Top 1% | 10,082Bottom 20% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 1,855+74%Top 36% | 1,067Bottom 39% |
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