PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core Ultra 9 275HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,835 vs 3,401).
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (17,908 vs 19,756).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 64 MB).

Ryzen 9 9900X

2024

Why buy it

✅+20% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Core Ultra 9 275HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Core Ultra 9 275HX

2025

Ryzen 9 9900X

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 120W, a 65W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+20% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,835 vs 3,401).
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (17,908 vs 19,756).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 64 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Core Ultra 9 275HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌118.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9900X better than Core Ultra 9 275HX?

Yes. Ryzen 9 9900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 10.3% better Geekbench multi-core, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 9900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 0.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9900X is the better fit. You are getting 10.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 77.8% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 9 9900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 9900X is at an unclear MSRP at $499 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (109.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core Ultra 9 275HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2024). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core Ultra 9 275HX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 9900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 275HX	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	309 FPS	287 FPS
medium	299 FPS	259 FPS
high	246 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	208 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	270 FPS
medium	228 FPS	218 FPS
high	175 FPS	170 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	186 FPS
medium	151 FPS	151 FPS
high	112 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 275HX Open Ryzen 9 9900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 9 275HX	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	802 FPS	772 FPS
medium	700 FPS	625 FPS
high	565 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	495 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	682 FPS	635 FPS
medium	614 FPS	534 FPS
high	505 FPS	412 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	321 FPS
4K
low	382 FPS	356 FPS
medium	349 FPS	303 FPS
high	326 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	224 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 275HX Open Ryzen 9 9900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 9 275HX	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	866 FPS	899 FPS
medium	708 FPS	711 FPS
high	628 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	537 FPS	526 FPS
1440p
low	744 FPS	726 FPS
medium	611 FPS	577 FPS
high	529 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	418 FPS
4K
low	527 FPS	517 FPS
medium	446 FPS	432 FPS
high	403 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	344 FPS	322 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 275HX Open Ryzen 9 9900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 9 275HX	Ryzen 9 9900X
1080p
low	1078 FPS	1126 FPS
medium	959 FPS	989 FPS
high	841 FPS	862 FPS
ultra	757 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	862 FPS	891 FPS
medium	756 FPS	774 FPS
high	660 FPS	677 FPS
ultra	585 FPS	580 FPS
4K
low	635 FPS	644 FPS
medium	565 FPS	569 FPS
high	500 FPS	502 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	433 FPS

Open Core Ultra 9 275HX Open Ryzen 9 9900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 9 275HX and Ryzen 9 9900X

Core Ultra 9 275HX

The Core Ultra 9 275HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2025-01-01. It is based on the Arrow Lake-HX (2025) architecture. It features 24 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2114. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 56,018 points. Launch price was $600.

Ryzen 9 9900X

The Ryzen 9 9900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 15 August 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 54,530 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 9 275HX packs 24 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Core Ultra 9 275HX has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 275HX versus 5.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9900X — a 3.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9900X (base: 2.7 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core Ultra 9 275HX uses the Arrow Lake-HX (2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9900X uses Granite Ridge (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 9 275HX scores 56,018 against the Ryzen 9 9900X's 54,530 — a 2.7% lead for the Core Ultra 9 275HX. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,835 vs 3,401, a 18.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 9900X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 17,908 vs 19,756 (9.8% advantage for the Ryzen 9 9900X). L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 275HX vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9900X.

Feature	Core Ultra 9 275HX	Ryzen 9 9900X
Cores / Threads	24 / 24+100%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz	5.6 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	4.4 GHz+63%
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+78%
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)+200%	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-HX (2025)	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)
PassMark	56,018+3%	54,530
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	33,003
Geekbench 6 Single	2,835	3,401+20%
Geekbench 6 Multi	17,908	19,756+10%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 9 275HX uses the FCBGA2114 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 9900X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. Both support up to 256 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM870,WM880 (Core Ultra 9 275HX) and A620,B650,X670,X870 (Ryzen 9 9900X).

Feature	Core Ultra 9 275HX	Ryzen 9 9900X
Socket	FCBGA2114	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	256 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 9900X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 9 275HX) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 9900X). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Arc Graphics (Core Ultra 9 275HX) and Radeon 610M (Ryzen 9 9900X) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 9 275HX targets High-End Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 9 275HX rivals Ryzen 9 9955HX.