Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Core i7-7700
Short answer: which is best?
Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 196.2 % stronger than Core i7-7700. 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). Core i7-7700 ranks #86 of 108 measured processors at WhatFPS (5,252 CPU score in its best run — 1 rig, 1 verified run). Each part is shown at its best run, picked from 25 verified WhatFPS runs — measured, not estimated, not self-reported.
Measured comparison
| Metric | Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | Core i7-7700 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU score, best run (the processor's own performance) | 15,558 | 5,252 |
| Best rig (GAMING — whole PC) | 10,383 | 2,105 |
| Integer (MT) | 14.6 Gop/s | 2.1 Gop/s |
| Single-thread (1T) | 0.94 Gop/s | 0.46 Gop/s |
| Draw calls/s (DX11) | 11,343,956 | 6,446,637 |
| Cores / threads | 24 / 24 | 4 / 8 |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | 8 MB |
Fragz' verdict
Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus has the higher CPU score, with a 196.2 % lead over Core i7-7700. Since single-thread usually sets the FPS ceiling in games, you will see the advantage immediately with 0.94 Gop/s compared to 0.46 Gop/s. The Core i7-7700 has only been measured in a single rig, so that number is less certain. You get much better results in integer, all threads at 14.6 Gop/s versus 2.1 Gop/s, which says more about streaming, compiling and background load. You also get more draw calls per second at 11,343,956 compared to 6,446,637, and you will see higher performance in Supernova at 94.6 FPS versus 53.8 FPS. Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is highest in every performance test we ran.
Generated November 14, 2026 from the 25 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 Core i7-7700