Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme
79Single-core86.6
86.8Multi-core79.1
44.4Efficiencyspec-based93.3
60.5iGPU75.6
73.9Platformspec-based51.1
5 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus4 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme
InnoReviews verdict
Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme wins this laptop processor face-off, 78.6 to 73.9, pulling ahead mainly in iGPU (+15) and single-core (+8). Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus 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 multi-core score: 87 vs 79
- 33% higher cores: 24 vs 18
- 33% higher threads: 24 vs 18
- 31% higher PassMark: 58,672 vs 44,659
- 10% higher Boost clock: 5.5 GHz vs 5 GHz
Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme
- Stronger single-core score: 87 vs 79
- Stronger iGPU score: 76 vs 61
- 98% higher 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU): 3,667 vs 1,855
- 63% higher Base clock: 4.4 GHz vs 2.7 GHz
- 27% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,062 vs 3,198
General
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | 55 W | — |
| Max TDP | 160 W | — |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24+33% | 18 |
| Performance cores | 8 | — |
| Efficiency cores | 16 | — |
| Threads | 24+33% | 18 |
| Base clock | 2.7 GHz | 4.4 GHz+63% |
| Boost clock | 5.5 GHz+10% | 5 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | — |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) | Qualcomm Adreno X2-90 |
| iGPU clock | 2,000 MHz | 1,850 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X |
| Max memory | 256 GB | — |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,198Top 11% | 4,062+27%Top 6% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 21,581Top 9% | 23,166+7%Top 5% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,340Top 3% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 39,617Top 2% | — |
| PassMark | 58,672+31%Top 1% | 44,659Top 10% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 1,855Top 36% | 3,667+98%Top 9% |
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