The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is a mobile high-end CPU for gaming notebooks based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It offers 24 cores, consisting of 8 fast performance cores with up to 5.5 GHz and 16 smaller efficiency cores with up to 4.7 GHz clock speed (+100 MHz compared to the old Core Ultra 9 285HX). The CPU has access to 40 MB L2 cache and 36 MB L3 cache and is specified with a TDP of 55 watts. An improvement of the Plus-Refresh is a faster die-to-die frequency (+900 MHz).
The SoC integrates a small dedicated NPU called AI Boost with 13 TOPS (Int8) but no vPro. The integrated memory controller supports up to 256 GB DDR5-6400 (dual channel, no ECC support). The integrated GPU (iGPU) is a small Intel Graphics graphics card, which offers four Xe cores with 300 - 2000 MHz.
The CPU performance hardly improves compared to the old Core Ultra 9 285HX. The slightly higher clock rate of the efficiency cores only provides a slight performance boost. The higher minimum clock rate is normally not decisive. As a result, the average Ultra 9 290HX Plus should lag behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX but still be one of the fastest mobile CPUs in 2026. This makes the CPU ideal for demanding applications and games.
The Arrow Lake-HX chips are based on the desktop Arrow Lake-S chips and are composed of several chiplets. The CPU part is manufactured at TSMC using the modern N3B (3nm) process. The GPU also comes from TSMC in the N5P process. The SoC and I/O tile are manufactured in the TSMC N6 process. The base tile is manufactured by Intel in the 22nm process and carries the individual chiplets thanks to Foveros 3D packaging.
| Codename | Arrow Lake-HX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series | Intel Arrow Lake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series: Arrow Lake Arrow Lake-HX
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| Clock Rate | 1800 - 5500 MHz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level 2 Cache | 40 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level 3 Cache | 36 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Cores / Threads | 24 / 24 8 x 5.5 GHz Intel Lion Cove P-Core 16 x 4.7 GHz Intel Skymont E-Core | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power) | 55 Watt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TDP Turbo PL2 | 160 Watt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturing Technology | 3 nm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GPU | Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Meteor / Arrow Lake) (300 - 2000 MHz) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NPU / AI | 13 TOPS INT8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chip AI | 36 TOPS INT8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 64 Bit | 64 Bit support | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Architecture | x86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcement Date | 03/17/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Product Link (external) | www.intel.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Average benchmark values
Alienware 16X Aurora Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 16.00", 2.6 kg
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External Review » Alienware 16 Area-51 Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
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External Review » MSI Raider 16 Max HX B2WJ
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Alienware 16X Aurora Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 16.00", 2.6 kg
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» Mobile CPU Comparison
Comparison of all mobile CPU series
» Mobile Processors - Benchmarklist
Benchmarklist of all known CPUs that are used in laptops (desktop and laptop CPUs)
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