Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100
79Single-core73.6
86.8Multi-core71.2
44.4Efficiencyspec-based93.3
60.5iGPU77.9
73.9Platformspec-based44.9
9 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus4 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 71.9, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+16) and single-core (+5). Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100 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 single-core score: 79 vs 74
- Stronger multi-core score: 87 vs 71
- 300% higher L3 cache: 36 MB vs 9 MB
- 167% higher Efficiency cores: 16 vs 6
- 108% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 39,617 vs 19,037
Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100
- Stronger iGPU score: 78 vs 61
- 119% higher 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU): 4,064 vs 1,855
- 50% higher Performance cores: 12 vs 8
- 20% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,826 vs 3,198
General
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100 |
|---|---|---|
| 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-94-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 24+33% | 18 |
| Performance cores | 8 | 12+50% |
| Efficiency cores | 16+167% | 6 |
| Threads | 24+33% | 18 |
| Base clock | 2.7 GHz | — |
| Boost clock | 5.5 GHz+17% | 4.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | 36 MB+300% | 9 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 X2E-94-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR5-6400 | LPDDR5x-9523 |
| Max memory | 256 GB | — |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,198Top 10% | 3,826+20%Top 6% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 21,581Top 6% | 23,204+8%Top 3% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,340+44%Top 2% | 1,622Bottom 36% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 39,617+108%Top 1% | 19,037Top 19% |
| PassMark | 58,672+31%Top 1% | 44,662Top 9% |
| PassMark (single thread) | 4,920Top 4% | — |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 1,855Top 41% | 4,064+119%Top 5% |
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 AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395VSIntel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plusvs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HXVSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HXVSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100vs Apple M3 Max (16-core)VSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100vs AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395VSQualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-94-100vs Intel Core Ultra 9 275HXVS