Intel Core 7 251TE vs Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a decisive overall victory for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus, which wins 16 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The only exception is a narrow win for the Intel Core 7 251TE in PassMark integer math, where it scores 125,739 against 122,449, a lead of 2.7%. That single result does little to offset the scale of the Ultra 7's dominance elsewhere.

The largest gaps appear in the PassMark extended instructions test. The Ultra 7 scores 39,283 versus 16,974 for the 251TE, a deficit of 56.8% for the desktop part. The find prime numbers test shows an even steeper relative gap in percentage terms, with the Ultra 7 at 482 and the 251TE at 140, a 71% difference. Floating point math also favors the Ultra 7 heavily, 163,567 against 85,607, a 47.7% margin. The data encryption test shows the Ultra 7 at 37,813 versus 22,176, a 41.4% gap. Physics performance follows the same pattern, with the Ultra 7 at 3,843 and the 251TE at 1,938, a 49.6% deficit for the desktop chip.

The Cinebench suite tells a consistent story. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Ultra 7 scores 4,224 against 2,572, a 39.1% gap. The single-core R15 result is similar, 596 versus 362, a 39.3% difference. Cinebench R20 multicore shows 17,603 versus 10,717, again a 39.1% gap, and R20 single-core shows 2,485 versus 1,512, a 39.2% margin. Cinebench R23 multicore delivers the Ultra 7 at 41,913 versus 25,518, a 39.1% gap, while R23 single-core is 5,917 versus 3,602, a 39.1% difference. The consistency of these approximately 39% margins across all three Cinebench versions indicates a uniform performance advantage rather than a workload-specific anomaly.

PassMark multithread results show the Ultra 7 at 48,270 against 30,022, a 37.8% gap. Data compression favors the Ultra 7 at 493,179 versus 334,399, a 32.2% difference. Random string sorting shows the Ultra 7 at 60,020 versus 39,643, a 34% margin. The PassMark single-thread score for the Ultra 7 is 4,764 against 3,568, a 25.1% gap, which is the narrowest deficit the 251TE suffers outside of its integer math win.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 7 251TE has precisely one recorded benchmark victory, and it is in integer math. A score of 125,739 against 122,449 represents a real but modest 2.7% advantage. This suggests the 251TE retains some strength in workloads that are heavily integer-oriented, though the margin is small enough that it may not translate into a meaningful real-world advantage in most applications.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus wins across every other measured category. In Cinebench, the advantage is uniform and substantial, with all six recorded tests showing roughly a 39% lead. This covers both single-core and multicore rendering workloads, indicating that the Ultra 7's advantage applies to lightly threaded and heavily threaded tasks alike. The PassMark results extend this to data compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, floating point math, multithread performance, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread performance. The single-thread PassMark gap of 25.1% is the smallest of the Ultra 7's wins, but it is still a clear margin.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. For any task that relies on floating point math, physics simulation, encryption, compression, or general multithreaded throughput, the Ultra 7 is the stronger part by a wide margin. For integer math specifically, the 251TE holds a slight edge, but that is the only scenario where the data supports choosing it.

Architecture Differences

The two processors differ substantially at the architectural level. The Intel Core 7 251TE is a desktop part built on the Bartlett Lake codename, using the Intel Socket 1700 platform. It is manufactured on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry, with a die size of 215 mm². The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus is a mobile part, codenamed Arrow Lake-HX Refresh, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, and uses Intel BGA 2114. It is built on a 3 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 243 mm² and 17,800 million transistors.

Core and thread counts differ in an interesting way. The 251TE has 24 cores and 32 threads, while the Ultra 7 has 20 cores and 20 threads. The desktop chip has more cores and notably more threads, yet it loses decisively in multicore benchmarks. This indicates that the Ultra 7's core architecture is substantially more efficient per core. The 251TE's base clock is 1.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, while the Ultra 7 has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The Ultra 7's higher base clock and nearly identical boost clock contribute to its per-core advantage.

Cache layouts also differ significantly. The 251TE has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 7 has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 7 has more cache per core at every level, though its shared L3 is smaller overall. The larger per-core caches align with the Ultra 7's superior single-thread performance.

Memory support separates the two as well. The 251TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s and ECC support. The Ultra 7 supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, but with a higher memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and no ECC support. The Ultra 7 also provides more PCIe lanes, 20 versus 16 for the 251TE, both at Gen 5. The integrated graphics differ, with the 251TE using UHD Graphics 770 and the Ultra 7 using Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The 251TE is not multiplier unlocked, while the Ultra 7 is multiplier unlocked. The 251TE has a launch MSRP of $384; no launch MSRP is recorded for the Ultra 7. The 251TE was released on 2025-01-12, while the Ultra 7's release date is recorded as 2026-03-16.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core 7 251TE has 24 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus has 20 cores and 20 threads.

Q: How much faster is the Ultra 7 in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Ultra 7 scores 41,913 in Cinebench R23 multicore, against 25,518 for the 251TE, a gap of 39.1%.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the 251TE wins?

A: Yes, the 251TE wins PassMark integer math with a score of 125,739 versus 122,449, a 2.7% advantage.

Q: What is the largest percentage gap between the two processors?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Ultra 7 scores 482 against 140 for the 251TE, a 71% difference.

Q: Do the two processors use the same socket?

A: No, the 251TE uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 7 uses Intel BGA 2114.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: The 251TE supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 7 supports DDR5 only.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus as the superior processor in nearly every measurable way. Its average benchmark score of 61,834 places it at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-13900KF, i9-13900K, i9-13900T, and Xeon 636, all within a 0.8% delta. The Intel Core 7 251TE, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 41,650, placing it at the 88th percentile, with nearest rivals including the Core Ultra 7 265H, i7-14650HX, i7-12850HX, and i7-14700T, all within a 0.6% delta. The difference in average score between the two parts is substantial, roughly 48% higher for the Ultra 7.

For applications that depend on Cinebench rendering performance, the Ultra 7's consistent 39% lead across all versions makes it the clear choice. For PassMark workloads including compression, encryption, floating point math, physics, and multithreaded tasks, the Ultra 7 also wins by margins ranging from 25.1% to 71%. The only scenario where the 251TE holds an advantage is integer math, and that margin is just 2.7%.

The architecture differences reinforce the benchmark results. The Ultra 7 is built on a 3 nm TSMC process versus a 10 nm Intel process, has more cache per core, a higher base clock, higher memory bandwidth, more PCIe lanes, and a newer integrated graphics solution. It also has fewer cores, yet delivers higher multicore scores, which indicates the per-core efficiency advantage is decisive. The 251TE does offer ECC memory support, DDR4 compatibility, and a desktop socket, which are relevant for certain system configurations. But in terms of raw performance across the recorded benchmarks, the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus is the stronger processor in 16 of 17 tests, and the only benchmark where it loses is by a slim margin in integer math.