Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX: Comparison
Core Ultra 7 251HX vs Core Ultra 7 255HX total cores compared
Expect a near tie. The closest thing to a difference is total cores, Core Ultra 7 251HX 18 against Core Ultra 7 255HX 20. Microarchitecture is not the same on both, Arrow Lake on the Core Ultra 7 251HX versus Arrow Lake-HX on the Core Ultra 7 255HX. Memory type is not the same on both, DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s on the Core Ultra 7 251HX versus DDR5 on the Core Ultra 7 255HX.
Who each one is for
Buy the Core Ultra 7 251HX for gaming laptops with a dedicated graphics card and streaming, photo editing and moderate video work, though it is not the pick for thin and light laptops where battery life comes first and copilot+ PC AI features, which need a 40+ TOPS NPU. It also earns its place with buyers who want HX-class speed without paying for a Core Ultra 9. It is the wrong buy for hours of heavy rendering, where chips with more performance cores finish sooner. The Core Ultra 7 255HX suits high-end gaming laptops and mobile content creation, though it is not built for thin-and-light laptops and battery-life-focused use. Our rating of the Core Ultra 7 255HX (8.8/10): the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX brings desktop-class core counts to a mobile package, suited to high-end gaming and creator laptops that can handle the higher TDP.
What Core Ultra 7 251HX and Core Ultra 7 255HX have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: efficiency cores, tdp, l3 cache, integrated graphics and form factor are identical here. They match on 4 further specifications as well.
Do the Core Ultra 7 251HX and Core Ultra 7 255HX differ on total threads?
Yes. Total Threads reads 18 on the Core Ultra 7 251HX versus 20 on the Core Ultra 7 255HX.
Is the Market Segment the same on the Core Ultra 7 251HX and Core Ultra 7 255HX?
It is. Both are listed at Laptop, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Laptop
Codename
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- Arrow Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Arrow Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 2026
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 2025
TDP
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 55 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 55 W
iGPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, reduced EU count)
Market Segment
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- Arrow Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Arrow Lake-HX
Socket
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- FCBGA2114
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- BGA 2114 (BGA, soldered)
Process Node
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 3 nm
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 3 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 18
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 20Best
Performance Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 6
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 8Best
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 12
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 12
Total Threads
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 18
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 20Best
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- No
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- No
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 2.9 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 2.4 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 5.1 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 5.2 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 30 MB
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 30 MB
Base Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 55 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 55 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 160 W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 160 W
Memory Type
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- DDR5
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Yes
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 7 251HX
- 13 TOPS (Intel AI Boost)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- 13 TOPS (NPU 3)
Which one should you pick?
Choose 251HX if you want the higher L3 cache (30 MB vs 30 MB).
Choose 255HX if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
8.8 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX brings desktop-class core counts to a mobile package, suited to high-end gaming and creator laptops that can handle the higher TDP.
More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165H vs Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 266V
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 268V
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus