Intel Core i9-14901E vs Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a decisive overall victory for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, which claims 15 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The Intel Core i9-14901E secures only two wins, but those wins are notable for their magnitude in single-threaded workloads.

The largest margin of victory belongs to the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus in the PassMark extended instructions test, where it scores 51,290 against the i9-14901E's 17,249, a difference of 66.4 percent. Data encryption shows a similar pattern, with the Ultra 9 reaching 50,008 versus 18,571, a 62.9 percent advantage. The find prime numbers test also favors the Ultra 9 heavily, scoring 519 against 189, a 63.6 percent gap. Floating point math follows, with the Ultra 9 at 201,773 and the i9-14901E at 81,089, a 59.8 percent lead.

Multi-core rendering tests reinforce the Ultra 9's dominance. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ultra 9 scores 5,981 against 2,595, a 56.6 percent advantage. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 21,198 versus 10,816, a 49 percent gap. Cinebench R23 multi-core narrows the difference somewhat, with the Ultra 9 at 39,684 and the i9-14901E at 25,753, a 35.1 percent lead. PassMark multithread results show 59,439 versus 30,298, another 49 percent margin.

Data compression favors the Ultra 9 at 658,724 against 288,777, a 56.2 percent difference. Random string sorting goes to the Ultra 9 at 80,327 versus 39,138, a 51.3 percent gap. Integer math shows a closer race, with the Ultra 9 at 164,839 and the i9-14901E at 112,736, a 31.6 percent lead. Physics tests are the tightest multi-core comparison, with the Ultra 9 at 3,387 and the i9-14901E at 3,041, a 10.2 percent margin.

The i9-14901E takes its first win in Cinebench R15 single-core, scoring 366 against 340, a 7.6 percent advantage. Its second win is far more pronounced in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it reaches 3,635 against the Ultra 9's 2,356, a 54.3 percent lead. This is the largest single-core gap in the entire comparison and indicates a substantial difference in how the two processors handle lightly threaded workloads.

PassMark single-thread results tell a different story, however. The Ultra 9 scores 4,951 against 4,354, a 12.1 percent advantage. This contrasts sharply with the Cinebench R23 single-core result, where the i9-14901E holds a massive lead. The discrepancy suggests that benchmark methodology and instruction mix heavily influence which processor appears faster in single-threaded tests.

Average benchmark scores place the Ultra 9 far ahead overall. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus records an average score of 79,574, while the i9-14901E averages 37,911. The Ultra 9 sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the i9-14901E sits in the 86th percentile. The Ultra 9's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 79,371 (0.3 percent lower), the Intel Core i9-14900K at 79,097 (0.6 percent lower), the AMD EPYC 7413 at 80,041 (0.6 percent higher), and the Intel Xeon w5-2565X at 80,671 (1.4 percent higher). The i9-14901E's nearest rivals are all within 0.3 percent of its average score, including the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 37,904 and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X at 37,943.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is the stronger processor for workloads that can utilize many threads. Its 24 cores and 24 threads, combined with a 3 nm process node and TSMC foundry production, deliver roughly double the multi-threaded performance of the i9-14901E across most tests. The Ultra 9 wins 15 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks and holds a 95th percentile ranking versus the i9-14901E's 86th percentile.

The Intel Core i9-14901E remains relevant for single-threaded applications that respond to high clock speeds. Its boost clock of 5.60 GHz, compared to the Ultra 9's 5.50 GHz, contributes to its Cinebench R23 single-core victory, where it leads by 54.3 percent. The i9-14901E also wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 7.6 percent. However, the PassMark single-thread test favors the Ultra 9 by 12.1 percent, which complicates any blanket statement about single-thread superiority.

The Ultra 9 also delivers higher memory bandwidth at 102.4 GB/s, while the i9-14901E has no recorded memory bandwidth figure in the database. Both processors support ECC memory, but the Ultra 9 supports only DDR5, while the i9-14901E supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The Ultra 9 provides more PCIe lanes at Gen 5, 20 lanes, compared to the i9-14901E's Gen 5, 16 lanes.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins in every PassMark category recorded, including data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, find prime numbers, floating point math, integer math, multithread, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread. It also wins all three Cinebench multi-core tests and Cinebench R20 single-core. Its 24-core configuration with 24 threads provides substantial parallel throughput, and its 36 MB of shared L3 cache matches the i9-14901E's L3 capacity while offering larger per-core L1 and L2 caches.

The Intel Core i9-14901E wins in Cinebench R15 single-core and Cinebench R23 single-core. The R23 result is particularly striking, with a 54.3 percent margin that suggests the i9-14901E's architecture and clock behavior are exceptionally well suited to that specific workload. The i9-14901E uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, while the Ultra 9 uses Arrow Lake-HX on a 3 nm process. The i9-14901E's 2.80 GHz base clock is slightly higher than the Ultra 9's 2.70 GHz, and its 5.60 GHz boost clock edges out the Ultra 9's 5.50 GHz.

The Ultra 9's transistor count of 17,800 million on a 243 mm² die, produced by TSMC, contrasts with the i9-14901E's 257 mm² die size and Intel's 10 nm process. The Ultra 9 is an unlocked part with a multiplier that can be adjusted, while the i9-14901E is locked. The Ultra 9 targets the mobile market segment with an Intel BGA 2114 socket, while the i9-14901E targets desktops with Intel Socket 1700.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus averages 79,574, while the Intel Core i9-14901E averages 37,911. The Ultra 9 also ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, compared to the i9-14901E's 86th percentile.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap in Cinebench R23?

A: The Ultra 9 scores 39,684 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the i9-14901E scores 25,753. The Ultra 9 leads by 35.1 percent.

Q: Does the i9-14901E win any single-threaded tests?

A: Yes, the i9-14901E wins Cinebench R15 single-core with 366 against 340 (a 7.6 percent lead) and Cinebench R23 single-core with 3,635 against 2,356 (a 54.3 percent lead). The Ultra 9 wins PassMark single-thread with 4,951 against 4,354.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The i9-14901E has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Ultra 9 has 24 cores and 24 threads, meaning it does not use simultaneous multithreading.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: The i9-14901E supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The Ultra 9 supports DDR5 only. Both support ECC memory.

Q: How do the integrated graphics compare?

A: The i9-14901E uses UHD Graphics 770, while the Ultra 9 uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The database does not include graphics benchmark scores for either.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and use fundamentally different internal designs. The i9-14901E belongs to the Core 14th Gen series with a Raptor Lake architecture, specifically Raptor Lake-R, and is part of the Raptor Lake Refresh generation. The Ultra 9 belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2 with the Arrow Lake-HX Refresh codename and the Arrow Lake-HX generation.

The process node differs substantially. The i9-14901E uses a 10 nm process fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 257 mm² and no recorded transistor count. The Ultra 9 uses a 3 nm process fabricated by TSMC, with a die size of 243 mm² and 17,800 million transistors. This process advantage likely contributes to the Ultra 9's higher performance despite a similar die area.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The i9-14901E provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ultra 9 provides 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and the same 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger per-core caches on the Ultra 9 align with its higher core count.

The i9-14901E uses a 65 W TDP, while the Ultra 9 uses a 55 W TDP. The i9-14901E is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700, and the Ultra 9 is a mobile part on Intel BGA 2114. The Ultra 9 has an unlocked multiplier, while the i9-14901E does not. Both processors support PCIe Gen 5, but the Ultra 9 provides 20 lanes compared to the i9-14901E's 16 lanes.

The Ultra 9 records a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, while no memory bandwidth figure is recorded for the i9-14901E. Both use dual-channel memory buses. The i9-14901E was released on 2024-06-30, and the Ultra 9 has a release date of 2026-03-16. Both are listed as active in production.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification category. The i9-14901E has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Ultra 9 has 24 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks are close, with the i9-14901E at 2.80 GHz and the Ultra 9 at 2.70 GHz. Boost clocks are also close, with the i9-14901E at 5.60 GHz and the Ultra 9 at 5.50 GHz.

TDP differs, with the i9-14901E rated at 65 W and the Ultra 9 at 55 W. Sockets are incompatible, with the i9-14901E using Intel Socket 1700 and the Ultra 9 using Intel BGA 2114. The i9-14901E uses the Raptor Lake architecture, while the Ultra 9's architecture field is not recorded, though its codename is Arrow Lake-HX Refresh.

Process node and foundry differ, with the i9-14901E on Intel's 10 nm process and the Ultra 9 on TSMC's 3 nm process. The Ultra 9 records 17,800 million transistors, while the i9-14901E has no transistor count. Die sizes are similar, at 257 mm² for the i9-14901E and 243 mm² for the Ultra 9.

Cache per core differs: 80 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 for the i9-14901E, versus 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 for the Ultra 9. Shared L3 cache is identical at 36 MB. Memory support differs, with the i9-14901E accepting DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 9 accepts DDR5 only. The Ultra 9 records 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth, while the i9-14901E has no recorded value.

PCIe lane counts differ, with the i9-14901E providing Gen 5, 16 lanes, and the Ultra 9 providing Gen 5, 20 lanes. Integrated graphics differ, with the i9-14901E using UHD Graphics 770 and the Ultra 9 using Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The i9-14901E is a desktop part, and the Ultra 9 is a mobile part. The Ultra 9 has an unlocked multiplier, while the i9-14901E is locked. Release dates differ, with the i9-14901E on 2024-06-30 and the Ultra 9 on 2026-03-16.