The flagship Arrow Lake CPU isn't going to deliver any significant performance uplifts over its predecessor, but here's what you can expect.
Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus Delivers 6-8% Higher Single and Multi-Threaded Performance vs Core Ultra 9 285HX in Leaked Geekbench Benchmarks
Similar to the desktop variant, the mobile Arrow Lake lineup will also receive its new flagship chip called the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. It's a high-performance chip that offers the same 24-core/24-thread configuration as its predecessor, the Core Ultra 9 285HX. However, being a refresh, it's going to bring some upgrades, mostly in the clock speed. While the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus desktop CPU is rumored to have been cancelled, Intel is going with its plan to launch the mobile variant very soon.
The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus was recently benchmarked on Geekbench, a popular CPU/GPU benchmarking platform that is often used for hardware comparison. Geekbench isn't very reliable as the scores can greatly vary from test to test. According to the leaked benchmarks, the 290HX Plus is delivering 3,153 points in single-core and 21,720 points in multi-core tests. As you can see, it's an Acer Predator laptop that hosts the CPU and 64 GB of system RAM.
If we compare the scores against the Core Ultra 9 285HX, there is a slight improvement in scores. The performance difference will vary based on what benchmark you take into account. For instance, when we compare the 290HX Plus' scores to Dell Pro Max's Ultra 9 285HX benchmarks, the 290HX Plus is roughly 6% faster in single-core and 8% faster in multi-core tests. The difference can be higher, but overall, we are seeing slightly better-performing CPU without any increase in the core count.
Geekbench: Core Ultra 9 285HX vs Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
This isn't the first time the 290HX Plus was benchmarked, as we previously saw the processor in PassMark, which is a more reliable platform for comparison. On PassMark, the 290HX Plus was easily delivering 15% higher multi-core performance vs 285HX and was on par with the Core Ultra 9 285K desktop CPU. The leaks have confirmed a boost clock of up to 5.45 GHz, but the Geekbench leak indicates nearly 5.5 GHz boost, which is the same as you see on the 285HX. Therefore, take the leaked specs with a grain of salt until we get the official numbers from Intel.
News Source: BenchLeaks
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
