The newest Core Ultra Series 2 chip offers superior raw performance at lower power consumption vs Raptor Lake Refresh's flagship chip.
Core Ultra 7 251X Beats Core i9 14900HX At 50W and 70W TDP, But Shows Regressions When Compared to Core Ultra 7 255HX
The Arrow Lake-HX lineup was expanded a month ago with the introduction of the Core Ultra 7 251HX. The processor sits between the Core Ultra 5 245HX and the Core Ultra 7 255HX, offering an 18-core configuration as a result of a 6+12 core arrangement. With two fewer Performance cores than the Ultra 7 255HX, one can expect slower performance in multi-threaded tests, which is why we are seeing the processor losing to the bigger sibling.
The leaked Core Ultra 7 251HX Cinebench R23 test shows that the processor delivers nearly 30,000 points in the Multi-threaded test at nearly 140W, which is impressive as it matches the performance of the Core i9 14900HX, which is the flagship Raptor Lake Refresh mobile chip, featuring a solid 24-core/32-thread configuration where 8 P-core +16 E-Core play a huge role in uplifting the multi-threaded scores. So, despite having six fewer cores, the Core Ultra 7 251HX is trading blows with the i9 14900HX at its full potential, but it gets better when it comes to power efficiency.
The Core Ultra 7 251HX shows its dominance in performance-per-watt or efficiency scaling when the chip is compared to the i9 14900HX at sub-100W TDP levels. For instance, the performance gap appears to be quite large at 50W, where the Core Ultra 7 251HX is able to cross the 20,000 point mark, while the i9 14900HX hardly manages to touch 18,000 points. The gap seems to be even bigger at nearly 35-45W, but considering both are made for high-performance devices, it's much fairer to compare them at over 50W.
Even at 70W, the Core Ultra 7 251HX is able to maintain a solid lead, and the performance gap shrinks to almost zero at around 100W. The Ultra 7 251HX easily delivers much higher multi-core performance even with fewer cores, given that the max turbo clock is also noticeably lower than the Core i9 14900HX. Of course, the 251HX fails to beat its bigger sibling in the same lineup, which is understood, but the performance gap isn't huge.
Intel Arrow Lake-HX "Core Ultra 200" Laptop CPU Lineup:
| CPU Name | Cores / Threads | Base Clocks (P/E Cores) | Max Boost Clocks (P/E) | Single-Core Boost (P/E) | iGPU EUs / Clock | TVB / TVB3 Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | 8+16 (24/24) | 2.7 / 1.8 GHz | 5.5 / 4.7 GHz | TBD | 64 / 2.0 GHz | Yes / Yes |
| Core Ultra 9 285HX | 8+16 (24/24) | 2.8 / 2.1 GHz | 5.5 / 4.6 GHz | 5.2 / 4.6 GHz | 64 / 2.0 GHz | Yes / Yes |
| Core Ultra 9 275HX | 8+16 (24/24) | 2.7 / 2.1 GHz | 5.4 / 4.6 GHz | 5.3 / 4.6 GHz | 64 / 2.0 GHz | Yes / Yes |
| Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus | 8+12 (20/20) | 2.4 / 1.8 GHz | 5.3 / 4.7 GHz | TBD | 64 / 1.9 GHz | Yes / Yes |
| Core Ultra 7 265HX | 8+12 (20/20) | 2.6 / 2.3 GHz | 5.3 / 4.6 GHz | 5.2 / 4.6 GHz | 64 / 1.9 GHz | Yes / Yes |
| Core Ultra 7 255HX | 8+12 (20/20) | 2.4 / 1.8 GHz | 5.2 / 4.5 GHz | 5.0 / 4.5 GHz | 64 / 1.9 GHz | Yes / Yes |
| Core Ultra 7 251HX | 6+12 (18/18) | 2.9 / 2.5 GHz | 5.1 / 4.5 GHz | 5.1 / 4.5 GHz | 48 / 1.8 GHz | TBD |
| Core Ultra 5 245HX | 6+8 (14/14) | 3.1 / 2.6 GHz | 5.1 / 4.5 GHz | 5.0 / 4.5 GHz | 48 / 1.8 GHz | Yes / No |
| Core Ultra 5 235HX | 6+8 (14/14) | 2.9 / 2.6 GHz | 5.1 / 4.5 GHz | 5.0 / 4.5 GHz | 48 / 1.8 GHz | Yes / No |
News Source: @realVictor_M
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.
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