Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Intel Core i5-1235U
79Single-core49.8
86.8Multi-core31.4
44.4Efficiencyspec-based75.3
60.5iGPU50.3
73.9Platformspec-based47.7
17 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus1 spec wins — Intel Core i5-1235U
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 46.9, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+55) and single-core (+29). Intel Core i5-1235U 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 50
- Stronger multi-core score: 87 vs 31
- Stronger iGPU score: 61 vs 50
- 539% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 39,617 vs 6,200
- 373% higher PassMark: 58,672 vs 12,415
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-1235U
- 73% lower Base TDP: 15 W vs 55 W
General
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| 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 i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24+140% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 8+300% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 16+100% | 8 |
| Threads | 24+100% | 12 |
| Base clock | 2.7 GHz+108% | 1.3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 5.5 GHz+25% | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB+200% | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) | Intel Iris Xe (80 EU) |
| iGPU clock | 2,000 MHz | 1,200 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR5-6400 | LPDDR5-5200 / DDR5-4800 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 256 GB+300% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,198+60%Top 9% | 2,000Bottom 17% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 21,581+254%Top 7% | 6,100Bottom 14% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,340+54%Top 2% | 1,520Bottom 29% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 39,617+539%Top 1% | 6,200Bottom 17% |
| PassMark | 58,672+373%Top 1% | 12,415Bottom 22% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 1,855+58%Top 37% | 1,175Bottom 42% |
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