Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs 13th Gen Core i9-13900K
Short answer: which is best?
Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 6.5 % stronger than 13th Gen Core i9-13900K. Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus ranks #2 of 108 measured processors at WhatFPS (15,558 CPU score in its best run — best of 2 rigs, 24 verified runs). 13th Gen Core i9-13900K ranks #5 of 108 measured processors at WhatFPS (14,605 CPU score in its best run — best of 3 rigs, 3 verified runs). Each part is shown at its best run, picked from 27 verified WhatFPS runs — measured, not estimated, not self-reported.
Measured comparison
| Metric | Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | 13th Gen Core i9-13900K |
|---|---|---|
| CPU score, best run (the processor's own performance) | 15,558 | 14,605 |
| Best rig (GAMING — whole PC) | 10,383 | 13,170 |
| Integer (MT) | 14.6 Gop/s | 15 Gop/s |
| Single-thread (1T) | 0.94 Gop/s | 0.88 Gop/s |
| Draw calls/s (DX11) | 11,343,956 | 11,749,277 |
| Cores / threads | 24 / 24 | 24 / 32 |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | 36 MB |
Fragz' verdict
The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus has the higher CPU score, with a 6.5 % lead over the 13th Gen Core i9-13900K. Since single-thread performance usually sets the FPS ceiling in games, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus takes the win here with 0.94 Gop/s compared to 0.88 Gop/s. However, the 13th Gen Core i9-13900K is still the right pick when you need more performance for streaming, compiling and background load because it is highest on integer, all threads at 15 Gop/s. It also does more when a lot is on screen, leading in both draw calls per second at 11,749,277 and in Supernova at 97.9 FPS.
Generated November 14, 2026 from the 27 verified runs available then. The verdict is never silently rewritten — new numbers get a new verdict.
What the numbers mean
The headline score is the part's best measured run, and the measurements under it come from that same run. It shows what the part has been proven to do — not what an average rig gets out of it. The CPU score is the processor's own performance — that is what we rank on. GAMING is the whole rig's score in the best PC we measured the processor in, and leans heavily on the graphics card. A strong processor in a weak PC gets a low GAMING score without being worse. We show both and never mix them.
All numbers come from our benchmark suite: four hand-built 3D scenes written directly against the graphics APIs in Rust, the same load on every PC. The methodology is open at https://whatfps.com/metodik
All measurements for Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus · All measurements for 13th Gen Core i9-13900K