Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100
79Single-core81.3
86.8Multi-core58
44.4Efficiencyspec-based93.3
60.5iGPU68
73.9Platformspec-based37.8
8 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus3 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 67.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+29). Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 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 58
- 167% higher Efficiency cores: 16 vs 6
- 110% higher PassMark: 58,672 vs 27,909
- 100% higher cores: 24 vs 12
- 100% higher threads: 24 vs 12
Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100
- Stronger iGPU score: 68 vs 61
- 48% higher Base clock: 4 GHz vs 2.7 GHz
- 40% higher 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU): 2,605 vs 1,855
- 19% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,811 vs 3,198
General
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 X2E-80-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24+100% | 12 |
| Performance cores | 8+33% | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 16+167% | 6 |
| Threads | 24+100% | 12 |
| Base clock | 2.7 GHz | 4 GHz+48% |
| Boost clock | 5.5 GHz+17% | 4.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | — |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) | Qualcomm Adreno X2-85 |
| iGPU clock | 2,000 MHz | 1,700 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X-9523 |
| Max memory | 256 GB | — |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,198Top 11% | 3,811+19%Top 9% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 21,581+35%Top 9% | 16,041Top 22% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,340Top 3% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 39,617Top 2% | — |
| PassMark | 58,672+110%Top 1% | 27,909Top 27% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 1,855Top 36% | 2,605+40%Top 28% |
Related comparisons
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plusvs Apple M3 Max (16-core)VSIntel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plusvs Apple M4 Pro (14-core)VSIntel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plusvs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HXVSIntel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plusvs AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395VSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100vs AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370VSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100vs Intel Core Ultra 9 386HVSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HVSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100vs AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470VS