Intel Core 7 160UL vs Intel Core 9 273PE Comparison

The Intel Core 7 160UL and Intel Core 9 273PE occupy different tiers within Intel’s desktop lineup, and the benchmark data reflects a clear performance hierarchy. The Core 9 273PE wins every single recorded head-to-head test, but the margin of victory varies dramatically by workload, revealing distinct usage profiles. The Core 7 160UL is a low-power part with a 15 W TDP, while the Core 9 273PE is a 65 W part with significantly more resources. The recorded data shows the Core 9 273PE delivers roughly 70% higher scores in most multi-threaded tests, yet the single-thread gap narrows to just 7.1% in PassMark’s single-thread test. This suggests the Core 7 160UL remains competitive in lightly threaded tasks despite its much lower power envelope.

Where Each One Wins

The Core 9 273PE dominates every benchmark category in the database, making it the unequivocal choice for compute-heavy workloads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Core 9 273PE scores 31288 against 9386 for the Core 7 160UL, a 70% advantage. That pattern repeats across all Cinebench versions: R15 multi-core shows 3153 versus 946, R20 multi-core shows 13140 versus 3942, and R23 multi-core shows 31288 versus 9386. The Core 9 273PE also leads in PassMark integer math with 139410 against 47515, a 65.9% edge, and in floating-point math with 107884 against 25670, a 76.2% edge. These results indicate the Core 9 273PE is built for rendering, compilation, scientific simulation, and any workload that scales across cores.

The Core 7 160UL does not win a single head-to-head test, but its closest relative performance appears in single-threaded PassMark tests. There, the Core 7 160UL scores 3391 against 3650 for the Core 9 273PE, a delta of only 7.1%. That is the smallest gap in the entire dataset. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Core 7 160UL scores 1325 versus 4417 for the Core 9 273PE, a 70% deficit, so the PassMark result stands out as an outlier where the lower-power part nearly keeps pace. The data suggests the Core 7 160UL can handle everyday desktop responsiveness, office applications, and basic web workloads without the massive performance penalty seen in multi-threaded tasks. Its 15 W TDP also positions it as a far more efficient option for always-on systems or compact builds where heat and power constraints matter more than raw throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two processors share the Intel Socket 1700 platform, but their internal designs diverge sharply. The Core 7 160UL uses the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-PS codename, while the Core 9 273PE uses the Bartlett Lake codename. Both are built on Intel’s 10 nm process node and manufactured by Intel, but the similarity ends there. The Core 7 160UL has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the Core 9 273PE has 12 cores and 24 threads. That doubling of threads comes from hyper-threading support on every core of the Core 9 273PE, whereas the Core 7 160UL’s thread count implies some cores lack that capability.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Core 7 160UL carries 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core 9 273PE also has 80 KB of L1 per core, but its L2 grows to 2 MB per core and its shared L3 jumps to 36 MB. That tripling of L3 cache gives the Core 9 273PE a significant advantage in workloads with large working sets that fit in cache. The Core 9 273PE also supports ECC memory, while the Core 7 160UL does not, making the larger chip suitable for error-sensitive environments. Memory bandwidth is listed as 89.6 GB/s for the Core 9 273PE, whereas the Core 7 160UL has no recorded bandwidth figure.

PCIe capabilities differ as well. The Core 7 160UL offers PCIe Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while the Core 9 273PE offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). That doubles both the lane count and the generation, enabling faster GPUs and NVMe storage on the Core 9 273PE. Integrated graphics also differ: the Core 7 160UL uses Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units, while the Core 9 273PE uses the more modest UHD Graphics 730. The Core 7 160UL releases earlier, on 2024-04-07, while the Core 9 273PE is dated 2026-03-08. The Core 9 273PE has a launch MSRP of $549. Both processors have locked multipliers, so overclocking is not supported on either. The Core 7 160UL has a base clock of 1.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, whereas the Core 9 273PE starts at 2.30 GHz and boosts to 5.70 GHz.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Core 9 273PE boosts to 5.70 GHz, while the Core 7 160UL boosts to 5.20 GHz.

Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?

A: The Core 9 273PE supports ECC memory, while the Core 7 160UL does not.

Q: How do the two compare in PCIe connectivity?

A: The Core 9 273PE provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Core 7 160UL provides PCIe Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only).

Q: What is the L3 cache difference?

A: The Core 9 273PE has 36 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Core 7 160UL has 12 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which chip has more threads?

A: The Core 9 273PE has 24 threads, twice the 12 threads of the Core 7 160UL.

Q: What are the integrated graphics solutions?

A: The Core 7 160UL uses Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units, while the Core 9 273PE uses UHD Graphics 730.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Core 7 160UL | Intel Core 9 273PE |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Cores | 10 | 12 |

| Threads | 12 | 24 |

| Base Clock | 1.80 GHz | 2.30 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.20 GHz | 5.70 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 65 W |

| Codename | Raptor Lake-PS | Bartlett Lake |

| Architecture | Raptor Lake | Not recorded |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 12 MB (shared) | 36 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not recorded | 89.6 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | False | True |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 8 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Iris Xe Graphics 96EU | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Release Date | 2024-04-07 | 2026-03-08 |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | $549 |

| Part Number | Unknown | SA4QD |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Core 9 273PE wins all 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons, but the magnitude varies from a narrow 7.1% to a lopsided 76.3%. The largest deficit for the Core 7 160UL appears in PassMark extended instructions, where the Core 9 273PE scores 24630 against 5832, a 76.3% gap. Floating-point math follows closely at 76.2% behind, with scores of 107884 versus 25670. Data compression shows a 73.2% gap, with the Core 9 273PE at 405885 against 108953. Physics results show a 73.7% deficit for the Core 7 160UL, scoring 819 versus 3120. Random string sorting also shows a 73.7% gap, with 45098 against 11843.

Prime number finding shows a 75.4% gap, with the Core 9 273PE scoring 203 against 50. Data encryption shows a 68.5% gap, with 22719 versus 7146. Integer math shows the smallest multi-threaded gap at 65.9%, with 139410 versus 47515. Cinebench multi-core results are consistent across versions, each showing a 70% delta: R15 at 3153 versus 946, R20 at 13140 versus 3942, and R23 at 31288 versus 9386. Cinebench single-core results also show a 70% delta in R15, R20, and R23, with the Core 9 273PE scoring 445, 1855, and 4417 respectively, against 133, 556, and 1325 for the Core 7 160UL.

PassMark multi-thread results show the Core 9 273PE at 36810 against 11043, a 70% gap. The single-thread PassMark tests tell a different story: the Core 9 273PE scores 3650 against 3391, a delta of just 7.1%. That result is recorded twice in the dataset under slightly different test names but with identical scores. The percentile rankings reinforce the gap: the Core 9 273PE sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the Core 7 160UL sits in the 69th percentile. Average benchmark scores show 49845 for the Core 9 273PE and 14232 for the Core 7 160UL. The nearest rivals for the Core 9 273PE include the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388, which trails by 0.1%, and the Intel Core i9-13980HX, which leads by 1.1%. The Core 7 160UL sits near the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which leads by 0.3%, and the Intel Core i5-10400F, which trails by 0.3%.