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Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus vs Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: Comparison
Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus vs Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus total cores compared
Expect a near tie. The closest thing to a difference is total cores, Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus 20 against Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus 24. Add l3 cache to that, 30 MB on the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus versus 36 MB on the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, and the pattern holds.
Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus vs Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: which one fits your build
Buy the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus for gaming laptops with a mid-range to high-end graphics card and video editing, streaming and code builds on the go, though it is not built 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 near top-tier HX speed without Core Ultra 9 pricing. It is not the one for budget buyers, since an HX chip raises laptop cost and weight. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus suits flagship gaming laptops with high-end graphics cards and mobile workstations for video editing, 3D rendering and code builds, though it is the wrong buy for thin and light laptops where battery life comes first and copilot+ PC AI features, which need a 40+ TOPS NPU. Avoid it for gamers on a budget, where a Core Ultra 7 HX laptop gets close for less.
What Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: performance cores, low power cores, e-core boost clock, e-core base clock and tdp are identical here. They match on 24 further specifications as well.
Do the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus differ on efficiency cores?
Yes. Efficiency Cores reads 12 on the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus versus 16 on the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.
Is the Integrated Graphics the same on the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Intel
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Intel
Product Line
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Core Ultra 7
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Core Ultra 9
Form Factor
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 270HX Plus
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 290HX Plus
Codename
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Arrow Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Arrow Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 2026
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 2026
TDP
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 55 W
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 55 W
iGPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Intel Graphics
Market Segment
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Arrow Lake
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Arrow Lake
Socket
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- FCBGA2114
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- FCBGA2114
Process Node
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 3 nm
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 3 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 20
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 24Best
Performance Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 8
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 8
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 12
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 16Best
Low Power Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 0
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 0
Total Threads
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 20
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 24Best
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- No
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- No
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 2.4 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 2.7 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 5.3 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 5.5 GHz
E-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 1.8 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 1.8 GHz
E-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 4.7 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 4.7 GHz
L2 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 36 MB-10%
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 40 MBBest
L3 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 30 MB-17%
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 36 MBBest
Base Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 55 W
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 55 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 160 W
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 160 W
Max Operating Temp
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 105 C
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 105 C
Memory Type
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- DDR5 up to 6400 MT/s
Max Memory Speed
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 6400 MT/s
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 6400 MT/s
Memory Channels
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 2
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 2
Max Memory Capacity
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 256 GB
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 256 GB
ECC Support
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- No
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- No
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Yes
iGPU Model
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Intel Graphics
iGPU Compute Units
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 4
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 4
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 13 TOPS (Intel AI Boost)
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 13 TOPS (Intel AI Boost)
Copilot Plus Certified
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- No
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- No
PCIe Generation
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- PCIe 5.0 and 4.0
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- PCIe 5.0 and 4.0
PCIe Lanes
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- 24
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- 24
Retail Availability
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Soldered Only
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Soldered Only
Thunderbolt
- Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus
- Thunderbolt 4
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Thunderbolt 4
Which one should you pick?
Choose 270HX Plus if you want the higher memory channels (2 vs 2) and the higher PCIe lanes (24 vs 24).
Choose 290HX Plus if you want the higher L2 cache (40 MB vs 36 MB) and the higher L3 cache (36 MB vs 30 MB).