Despite Intel’s efforts to keep Arrow Lake under lock and key, the chips are now seemingly out of the bag. If this leak is accurate, we now have details on the major specifications of all Core Ultra 200K CPUs launching later this year. Furthermore, we also know exactly when these processors will be available to purchase. Strap in, as there’s a lot to digest.
The never-ending tug of war for the title of best CPU will heat up this year with the release of Arrow Lake. Despite AMD striking first with its Ryzen 9000 processors, the company’s chips haven’t received the warmest of receptions. This leaves Intel with ample room to strike with Core Ultra 200 models, but there’s no guarantee that its latest architecture has the power to seize this opportunity.
Intel Core Ultra 200 specifications
| CPU | TDP | Cores | Base (P/E) (GHz) | Turbo (P/E) (GHz) | TVB | TBMT 3.0 | TMBT 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 285K | 125W | 8P+16E (24) | 3.7/3.2 | 5.4/4.6 | 5.7GHz | 5.6GHz | 5.5GHz |
| Core Ultra 9 285 | 65W | 8P+16E (24) | 2.5/1.9 | 5.3/4.6 | 5.6GHz | 5.5GHz | 5.4GHz |
| Core Ultra 9 285T | 35W | 8P+16E (24) | 1.4/1.2 | 4.7/4.5 | N/A | 5.4GHz | 5.3GHz |
| Core Ultra 7 265K | 125W | 8P+12E (20) | 3.9/3.3 | 5.2/4.6 | N/A | 5.5GHz | 5.4GHz |
| Core Ultra 7 265KF | 125W | 8P+12E (20) | 3.9/3.3 | 5.2/4.6 | N/A | 5.5GHz | 5.4GHz |
| Core Ultra 7 265 | 65W | 8P+12E (20) | 2.4/1.8 | 5.1/4.6 | N/A | 5.3GHz | 5.2GHz |
| Core Ultra 7 265F | 65W | 8P+12E (20) | 2.4/1.8 | 4.6/4.5 | N/A | 5.3GHz | 5.2GHz |
| Core Ultra 7 265T | 35W | 8P+12E (20) | 1.5/1.2 | 5.0/4.5 | N/A | 5.3GHz | 5.2GHz |
| Core Ultra 5 245K | 125W | 6P+8E (14) | 4.2/3.6 | 5.0/4.6 | N/A | N/A | 5.2GHz |
| Core Ultra 5 245KF | 125W | 6P+8E (14) | 4.2/3.6 | 5.0/4.6 | N/A | N/A | 5.2GHz |
| Core Ultra 5 245 | 65W | 6P+8E (14) | TBC | TBC | N/A | N/A | TBC |
| Core Ultra 5 235 | 65W | 6P+8E (14) | TBC | TBC | N/A | N/A | TBC |
| Core Ultra 5 225 | 65W | 6P+4E (10) | 3.3/2.7 | 4.7/4.4 | N/A | N/A | 4.9GHz |
| Core Ultra 5 225F | 65W | 6P+4E (10) | 3.3/2.7 | 4.7/4.4 | N/A | N/A | 4.9GHz |
Analysis
Despite the change in branding, there are quite a few similarities between Core Ultra 200 processors and their 14th Gen Core predecessors. For starters, Intel is using the same TDPs (125/65/35W) across its SKUs. However, Arrow Lake should be far less power-hungry under load, by at least 100W, according to rumours. There are no changes to core counts either, with the company clearly banking on architectural improvements to deliver generational performance uplifts. While there’s no mention of thread counts, we expect half the amount relative to equivalent Raptor Lake CPUs, as Team Blue is likely ditching hyper-threading from its upcoming lineup.
Curiously, Intel will offer increased clock speeds across the board, save for turbo values on performance cores (P-Cores). Core Ultra 9 285K’s efficient cores (E-Cores) handily eclipse Core i9-14900K, with its P-Cores also enjoying a healthy base boost. However, it’s 200MHz short of matching its predecessor in terms of P-Core turbo speeds. A similar story plays out across other models, including Core Ultra 7 285K (vs. Core i7-14700K) and 5 265K (vs. Core i5-14600K). This doesn’t take into account relative IPC (instructions per clock), so Arrow Lake could still hold an advantage here despite smaller numbers on paper.
Core Ultra 200 CPUs, aside from KF/F SKUs, will be the first desktop chips to sport Intel Arc integrated graphics. Shiny and powerful as these Xe2 cores seem, they likely won’t be powerful enough for anything more than display output. We’ll need to wait for Battlemage graphics cards to see what pixel-pushing power that architecture has.
Rich in detail as the leak above is, there are still some unanswered questions surrounding Arrow Lake processor specifications. We don’t know how much cache each CPU will have, in total or at specific levels. There’s also the question of price, which Intel will likely hold back as long as it can prior to launch. We’re also yet to see many examples of how Core Ultra 200 stacks up with its final silicon, with what few benchmarks we have being a mixed bag.
Release date
According to Benchlife, Core Ultra 200 will launch October 10, 2024. This would be just shy of one year after 14th Gen Core CPUs arrived on the scene (October 17, 2023). It’d also be just a few weeks after the now-cancelled Intel Innovation event, where the company typically reveals its upcoming processors and other products.
There’s still plenty of time for the field to change in the run-up to Arrow Lake’s arrival. AMD is apparently bolstering its Ryzen 7 9700X & Ryzen 5 9600X with higher TDPs, which could see their performance increase. More importantly, though, Ryzen 9000X3D processors should arrive in September, potentially stealing any limelight Core Ultra 200 was hoping for.
Until we hear from Intel itself, be sure to take all the above with some scepticism. Based on the above, I’m quietly hopeful Arrow Lake will be a step in the right direction for the company.
We’ll analyse Core Ultra 200 CPUs as soon as they’re ready to slot into Socket LGA 1851 boards. In the meantime, check out our Ryzen 9 9950X & Ryzen 9 9900X review to get a full picture of the processor landscape as it currently stands.
