Will a skew with higher clock multiplier downclock as low as same skew with lower multiplier?

[PTwr]

Basically, I am deciding between 285H and 255H

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/compare.html?productIds=241747,241751

Those chips appear to be identical except for 285H higher multiplier(s) (as per third party info, I can't find those numbers on Intel Ark), which go in line with Base and Minimum Assured power ratings.

Will 285H and 255H have similar/same power consumption if I set Turbo Boost Power Max and/or Frequency limits way below base ratings of either of them?

Due to my peculiar workload, my i7-12700H spends most of time limited to 10W/~1.5Ghz, no fan, and pleasantly warm in touch. But from time to time I send it screeching at its full 115W (which makes its 90W charger a peculiar design choice).

On device I am looking at price difference is negligible, so extra hertzes on 285H would pay for themselves someday. But if on 285H "staring blankly at incompetent coworkers code for prolonged time" power usage, and thus heat/noise, will be much higher despite idling at same frequency it would be an inferior choice over 255H for me.

[Earl_Intel · Accepted solution]

Hello PTwr,

Thank you for posting in the communities!

I appreciate your thoughtful inquiry and for sharing the context of your workload—your use case paints a clear picture.

You're absolutely right that the Core Ultra 9 285H and Ultra 7 255H are architecturally similar, both featuring 16 cores and support for the same memory and graphics technologies.

The key difference lies in their base and turbo frequencies, as well as their default power envelopes:

• 285H: Base TDP of 45W, PL2 up to 115W
• 255H: Base TDP of 28W, PL2 also up to 115W

If you manually set Turbo Boost Power Max and frequency limits well below base ratings, both chips can behave similarly in terms of power consumption and thermal output. The 285H’s higher multiplier and default power ceiling won’t inherently cause more heat or noise if those limits are capped.

That said, the 285H may still draw slightly more power at idle or low-load states, depending on firmware and binning differences. But in your scenario—where the system is often capped at ~10W and ~1.5GHz—the difference should be negligible.

If the price gap is minimal and you occasionally need the extra headroom, the 285H could offer better long-term flexibility. But if your priority is absolute efficiency and minimal thermal footprint during idle-heavy workloads, the 255H remains a solid choice.

Let me know if you have other concerns or clarifications.

Best regards,

Earl E.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[PTwr]

Thank you for confirmation.

As its (almost) the same in low power, I'll probably go with 285H, due to weird local pricing

[Earl_Intel]

Hello PTwr,

You're very much welcome! We appreciate your thorough evaluation and are glad to hear you've made a decision that suits your needs.

Since your initial inquiry has already been resolved, I will no longer monitor this thread.

If you ever need further assistance or have questions down the line, feel free to reach out—we’re always here to help.

Best regards,

Earl E.

Intel Customer Support Technician