Intel Refreshes Arrow Lake Desktop CPUs with Core Ultra 200S “Plus” Series for LGA 1851
Intel has officially released a refresh of its Arrow Lake-S desktop processors, bringing incremental improvements to the LGA 1851 platform. Although not a new generation like the mobile Panther Lake processors, these new 3nm Arrow Lake models offer a compelling price-to-performance ratio and could prove surprisingly attractive to consumers.
Core Ultra 200S “Plus” Processors: What’s New?
The refresh focuses on unlocked enthusiast models with a 125W TDP. These processors are designed for existing LGA 1851 motherboards, though a BIOS update may be required for compatibility.
Core Ultra 7 270K Plus
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the flagship model, featuring 8 Performance-cores (P-cores) and 16 Efficient-cores (E-cores) for a total of 24 threads, along with 36MB of L3 cache. It boasts a base clock of 3.7 GHz and a maximum boost clock of 5.5 GHz, slightly lower than the previous top-tier Core Ultra 9 285K’s 5.7 GHz boost. E-core clock speeds range from 3.2 GHz to 4.7 GHz.
Intel aims to increase the availability of the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus by offering it at a competitive price of $299, approximately 7600 CZK or 318€ including VAT. This pricing positions it as a high-value option, comparable to AMD’s Ryzen 7 9700X, with Intel claiming up to 90% better multi-threaded performance – though independent testing will be needed to verify these claims.
Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus introduces a new configuration with 6 P-cores and 12 E-cores, totaling 18 threads and a reported 28MB of L3 cache. It has a maximum boost clock of 5.3 GHz, a base clock of 4.2 GHz, and a maximum turbo power consumption of 159W. E-core clock speeds range from 3.5 GHz to 4.7 GHz.
Priced at $199 (around 5050 CZK or 211€ with VAT), the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus directly competes with AMD’s Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 5 7500X3D. Intel asserts it delivers up to 103% higher multi-threaded performance than the Ryzen 5 9600X, but again, independent benchmarks are crucial for confirmation.
Enhanced Features and Compatibility
Both the Core Ultra 270K Plus and Core Ultra 250K Plus are unlocked for overclocking. They retain the integrated Xe “Alchemist” graphics with 512 shaders and the same multimedia capabilities and connectivity as previous LGA 1851 processors. Intel also plans to release “KF” models without integrated GPUs at a slightly lower price point.
Further improvements include official support for DDR5-7200 memory (previously achievable with XMP profiles) and a 900 MHz increase in the speed of the die-to-die interfaces connecting the processor chiplets. This faster communication pathway is expected to improve gaming performance by up to 15% compared to previous models.
The LGA 1851 platform will also gain support for quad-rank DDR5 modules, potentially enabling up to 512GB of memory capacity, although support may be limited to select motherboards.
Availability
The new Core Ultra 200S “Plus” processors will be available for purchase on March 26th.
The release of these refreshed processors highlights the increasing competitive pressure in the CPU market, with Intel responding to AMD’s strong performance with more affordable and multi-threaded options.
Sources: Ars Technica, Tom’s Hardware, TechReviewer