Intel Core Ultra 9 285K VS Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

We are comparing the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K ( Intel ) head-to-head with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus ( Intel ) . You will get the key pros and cons of each processor, in-depth specs, and benchmark comparisons.

Note: This comparison of Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is based on Comparigon's analysis and is for informational purposes only.

KEY DIFFERENCES OF Intel Core Ultra 9 285K AND Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Here’s how Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus stack up against each other in their most impactful areas. Use these bullets to quickly see where each CPU leads.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: 4 advantages Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: 1 advantage

Reasons to consider the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

4
  • 37% higher P-core base frequency (3700 MHz vs 2700 MHz)
  • 78% higher E-core base frequency (3200 MHz vs 1800 MHz)
  • Includes dedicated NPU acceleration
  • Supports ECC memory

Reasons to consider the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

1
  • 2% higher E-core turbo frequency (4700 MHz vs 4600 MHz)

SPECIFICATION TABLE COMPARISON OF Intel Core Ultra 9 285K AND Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Below is the detailed specification table comparing Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.

Note: Highlighted specs mean that CPU wins that spec row.

If neither side is highlighted, it is a tie or there is not enough data for both specs.

Specification Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
General Information
CPU Name: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
Vendor: Intel Intel
Release Date: October 24, 2024 January 17, 2026
Generation: Ultra 9 (Arrow Lake)
Type: Desktop Laptop
Instruction Set: x86-64
Codename: Arrow Lake-S Arrow Lake
Foundry: TSMC
Package and Thermals
Manufacturing Process: 3 nm 3 nm
Die Size: 243 mm²
Transistor Count: 17.8 billion
TDP (PL1): 250 W 45-55 W
Max Boost TDP (PL2): 250 W 160 W
Socket: FCLGA1851 FCBGA-2114
Max Temp (TJMax): 105 C 105 C
CPU Cores
Total Cores
Total Cores 24 24
Total Threads 24 24
P-Cores
P-Cores 8 8
P-Threads 8 8
P-Core Base Frequency 3700 MHz 2700 MHz
P-Core Turbo Frequency 5500 MHz 5500 MHz
E-Cores
E-Cores 16 16
E-Threads 16 16
E-Core Base Frequency 3200 MHz 1800 MHz
E-Core Turbo Frequency 4600 MHz 4700 MHz
NPU
NPU
NPU TOPS 13 TOPS
Cache and Bus
Multiplier Unlocked Unlocked
Bus Frequency 100 MHz 100 MHz
L1 Cache 192 KB 192 KB
L2 Cache 3 MB 3 MB
L3 Cache 36 MB 36 MB
Memory Support
Memory Types: DDR5-6400 DDR5-6400
Max Memory Size: 256 GB 256 GB
Memory Channels: 2 2
Max Memory Bandwidth: 102.4 GB/s
ECC Support:
Technologies: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, AVX-VNNI, FMA3, SHA, VT-x, VT-d, AES-NI, TXT, TDT, Thread Director, AI Boost 3.0, DLBoost 3.0, TBT 2.0, TBMT 3.0, TVB, vPro N/A
Benchmarks
Geekbench V6
Multi-Core 21581
Single-Core 3198
File Compression 1660
Clang Compression 217
HTML5 Browser 495
PDF Renderer 584
Text Processing 343
Background Blur 84
Photo Processing 160
Ray Tracing 46
PassMark CPU
CPU Mark 66082
Single-Core 5010
Integer Math 171700
Floating Point 220900
Prime Numbers 585
String Sorting 93200
Data Encryption 56300
Data Compression 766800
Physics 3545
Extended Instructions 60600
Cinebench 2024
Multi-Core 2219
Single-Core 126

Tip: indicates a higher-is-better spec advantage, while indicates a lower-is-better advantage.

PERFORMANCE CHART COMPARISON OF Intel Core Ultra 9 285K AND Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

The charts below visualize how Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus stack up in key performance metrics.

Performance Radar Chart

Category scores overview (0 to 100)
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Performance Benchmarks

Grey is the market top value. Colored bars show each CPU's relative benchmark reach.
Market Top
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Release Timeline of Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
450 days
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K was released 1 year, 2 months, 24 days earlier than Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.

Value For Money Calculator

Prices use available launch or current data. Enter your own prices to see which CPU gives better value.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

24C/24T
$
* Estimated from MSRP + markup
Value Index
0.0

Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus

24C/24T
$
* Enter Price Value to calculate
Value Index
0.0
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
0%

Calculating...

Domain Score Summary

Note: Scores (0 to 100) are generated by Comparigon’s scoring algorithm and are intended as a high-level guide. They may not map 1-to-1 with the individual spec-by-spec comparisons shown in the table.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
ALL
Overall
Difference: 12
Leads
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
72
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
84
Single-Core Performance
Difference: 23
Leads
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
61
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
84
Multi-Core Performance
Difference: 19
Leads
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
64
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
83
CPU Architecture
Difference: 4
Leads
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
77
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
73
Memory Architecture
Difference: 3
Leads
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
60
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
63
Energy Efficiency
Difference: 19
Leads
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
68
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
87
Note: If a domain shows no data, it usually means required specs are missing for the item.

Our Verdict

In conclusion, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is clearly better overall compared to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. Its strongest advantages are in Single-Core Performance, Multi-Core Performance, Memory Architecture and Energy Efficiency. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is the better fit if your top priority is CPU Architecture.

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