At the Embedded World 2026 conference in Germany, E-core was recently announced, featuring significant upgrades in core count and clock speed.Core Ultra 200S Plus series desktop processorsFollowing this, Intel updated its Core Ultra 200HX Plus series mobile processors, launching the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus, primarily targeting high-end gamers, content creators, and professional workstation users. Through architectural improvements and new software optimization technologies, Intel further solidified its competitiveness in the high-end mobile computing market.
Performance Enhancement: Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus Gaming Performance Improved by 8%
According to official Intel data, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus offers up to 8% better gaming performance and 7% better single-threaded performance compared to its predecessor, the Core Ultra 9 285HX. For users upgrading from older platforms, the performance leap will be even more significant—up to 62% better gaming performance and 30% better single-threaded performance compared to the Core i9-12900HX.
Josh Newman, Vice President and General Manager of Product Marketing for Intel's Client Computing Group, stated, "With the launch of the Core Ultra 200HX Plus series, we are further raising the performance ceiling for mobile computing to meet the needs of the most demanding gamers, creators, and professionals. Higher chip-to-chip frequencies and the new Intel Binary Optimization Tool deliver a truly tangible improvement in user experience from the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Ultra 7 270HX Plus."
Key technology upgrade: Chip interconnect frequency increased to 900MHz
The two processors announced this time have two noteworthy technical highlights in their specifications:
• Increased chip-to-chip interconnect frequency:Compared to the Core Ultra 7 285HX and 265HX, the new processor boasts a chip-to-chip frequency increase of up to 900MHz, equivalent to an increase of nearly 1GHz in the connection speed between the CPU and the memory controller. This improvement helps reduce system latency, directly resulting in a smoother gaming experience.
• Intel Binary Optimization Tool:This marks Intel's first foray into optimization technology, enabling instruction set optimization for specific games. Even if the workload was originally designed for other x86 processors, game consoles, or even earlier architectures, Intel's 40 years of experience in workload optimization can still improve the processor's instructions per cycle (IPC) and user experience. This software-level technology will evolve in parallel with the hardware architecture, becoming a key component of Intel's long-term performance roadmap for the enthusiast market.
Comprehensive connectivity upgrades: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thunderbolt 5 are all included.
To meet the extreme demands of high-end gaming laptops and mobile workstations for both wireless and wired connectivity, the Core Ultra 200HX Plus series supports the latest generation of connectivity technologies:
• Intel Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig):Provides faster wireless network speeds and lower latency.
• Intel Wireless Bluetooth 5.4:Improve the connection stability and power consumption performance of wireless peripherals
• Intel Thunderbolt 5:Offering up to 80 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth, it can easily transfer large files, stream 8K video, charge devices, and even connect multiple peripherals through a single port.
The entire ecosystem is mobilized: more than 10 partners and nearly 20 models are being launched simultaneously or successively.
The Core Ultra 200HX Plus series has received widespread support from global OEM partners, and gaming laptops and mobile workstations equipped with the new processor will be launched starting today. Partners and the first wave of models include:
• Acer: Predator Helios Neo 16S AI, 16 AI, 18 AI
ASUS: ROG Strix SCAR 18
• Colorful: iGame M16 Origo
• Dell: Alienware 16/18 Area-51 Gaming Laptop, Alienware 16X Aurora
• HP: HyperX OMEN 15/16/MAX 16
• Lenovo: Legion 7i/5i/Pro 7i/Pro 5i series
• MAINGEAR: Ultima 18
• Mechrevo: Yaoshi 18 Pro, Yaoshi 16 Ultra
MSI: Raider 16 Max HX
• Origin PC: Gaming Notebook EON18X, EON16X
• Puget: Mobile C162-G
• Razer: Razer Blade 18 Plus
