Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Core Ultra 7 265K

Short answer: which is best?

Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 7.4 % stronger than Core Ultra 7 265K. 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 Ultra 7 265K ranks #6 of 108 measured processors at WhatFPS (14,482 CPU score in its best run — best of 2 rigs, 4 verified runs). Each part is shown at its best run, picked from 28 verified WhatFPS runs — measured, not estimated, not self-reported.

Measured comparison

Fragz' verdict

Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus has the higher CPU score, leading the Core Ultra 7 265K by 7.4 %. Since single-thread performance usually sets the FPS ceiling in games, you get the edge here with 0.94 Gop/s compared to 0.91 Gop/s. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus also wins in integer tests at 14.6 Gop/s, which says more about streaming, compiling and background load. However, the Core Ultra 7 265K is still the right pick when a lot is on screen because it is highest in draw calls per second and in Supernova.

Generated November 14, 2026 from the 28 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 Ultra 7 265K