Ultra 9 290HX Plus vs Apple M4 Max 16-Core
Aggregate performance score
Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus outperforms M4 Max 16-Core by a considerable 42% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 282 | 130 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Designer | Apple | Intel |
| Manufacturer | no data | TSMC |
| Architecture codename | no data | Arrow Lake-HX Refresh (2026) |
| Release date | 30 October 2024 (1 year ago) | 17 March 2026 (less than a year ago) |
Detailed specifications
Basic parameters of M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) | 24 (Tetracosa-Core) |
| Threads | 16 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.7 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.51 GHz | 5.5 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 192 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 4 MB | 3 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 36 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Die size | no data | 243 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | no data | 17,800 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | Intel BGA 2114 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | no data | 55 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
Security technologies
M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR5 | DDR5 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M4 Max 40-Core GPU | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M4 Max 16-Core and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.
| PCIe version | no data | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 24 |
Synthetic benchmarks
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance. Other than that, Passmark measures multi-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 25.41 | 36.19 |
| Recency | 30 October 2024 | 17 March 2026 |
| Physical cores | 16 | 24 |
| Threads | 16 | 24 |
Ultra 9 290HX Plus has a 42% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, and 50% more physical cores and 50% more threads.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is our recommended choice as it beats the Apple M4 Max 16-Core in performance tests.
Other comparisons
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