Intel announced the release of the Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus series mobile processors, expanding its Core Ultra 200 series lineup with two new models: the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus.
The processors target gamers, content creators, and professionals requiring high performance for gaming, streaming, content creation, and workstation applications. They include architectural refinements and support for the new Intel Binary Optimization Tool, described as a first-of-its-kind binary translation layer optimization capability designed to improve native performance in select games.
Josh Newman, General Manager and Vice President of Product Marketing, Client Computing Group at Intel, stated that the series pushes mobile computing performance further for demanding users. He highlighted higher die-to-die frequencies and the Intel Binary Optimization Tool as delivering real-world performance gains for smoother gameplay, faster creation workflows, and more responsive workstation performance.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus provides up to 8% faster gaming performance and up to 7% faster single-thread performance compared to the previous-generation Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. Compared to the Intel Core i9-12900HX, systems with the new processor can achieve up to 62% faster gaming performance and up to 30% faster single-threaded performance.
Key specifications and features include:
Up to 900 MHz increase in die-to-die frequency compared to the Intel Core Ultra 7 285HX and Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX, raising the CPU/memory controller link speed by nearly one gigahertz to reduce system latency and improve gaming performance.
Support for the Intel Binary Optimization Tool, which increases instructions per cycle (IPC) and performance in workloads originally optimized for other x86 processors, game consoles, or earlier architectures.
Connectivity options including support for discrete Intel Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig), Intel Wireless Bluetooth 5.4, and Intel Thunderbolt 5 with up to 80 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth for file transfers, 8K media streaming, device charging, and accessory daisy-chaining.
Systems powered by Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus processors are available from OEM partners starting March 17, 2026, with additional launches planned throughout the year. Partner systems announced include:
Acer: Predator Helios Neo 16S AI, Predator Helios Neo 16 AI, Predator Helios Neo 18 AI
ASUS: ROG Strix SCAR 18
Colorful: iGame M16 Origo
Dell Technologies: Alienware 16 Area-51 Gaming Laptop, Alienware 18 Area-51 Gaming Laptop, Alienware 16X Aurora Gaming Laptop
HP Inc.: HyperX OMEN 15, HyperX OMEN 16, HyperX OMEN MAX 16
Lenovo: Lenovo Legion 7i (16”, 10), Lenovo Legion 5i (15”, 11), Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (16”, 10), Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16”, 10)
MAINGEAR: MAINGEAR Ultima 18
Mechrevo: Mechrevo Yaoshi 18 Pro, Mechrevo Yaoshi 16 Ultra
MSI: Raider 16 Max HX
Origin: Origin PC Gaming Notebook EON18X, Origin PC Gaming Notebook EON16X
Puget: Puget Mobile C162-G
Razer: Razer Blade 18
Specific system availability details can be obtained from individual OEM vendors.
