Core i7-12850HX vs Core Ultra 7 255H

The Core i7-12850HX packs 16 cores / 24 threads, matching the Core Ultra 7 255H's 16 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-12850HX versus 5.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 255H — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 255H (base: 2.1 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core i7-12850HX uses the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 255H uses Arrow Lake-H (2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12850HX scores 30,596 against the Core Ultra 7 255H's 30,932 — a 1.1% lead for the Core Ultra 7 255H. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12850HX vs 24 MB on the Core Ultra 7 255H.

The Core i7-12850HX uses the FCBGA1964 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core Ultra 7 255H uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-12850HX) vs 28 (Core Ultra 7 255H) — the Core Ultra 7 255H offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Only the Core i7-12850HX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i7-12850HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12850HX) and Intel Arc Graphics 140T (Core Ultra 7 255H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-12850HX targets Mobile Workstation, Core Ultra 7 255H targets High-End Laptop.