As a quick follow-up to last week's "Arrow Lake-S" de-lidding by Madness727, we now have a line-up of a de-lidded Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" processor placed next to a Core i9-14900K "Raptor Lake-S," and the Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake-S." The tile-based "Arrow Lake-S" is visibly larger than the two, despite being made on more advanced foundry nodes. Both the 8P+16E "Raptor Lake-S" and 8P+8E "Alder Lake-S" chips are built on the Intel 7 node (10 nm Enhanced SuperFin). The "Raptor Lake-S" monolithic chip comes with a die-area of 257 mm². The "Alder Lake-S" is physically smaller, at 215 mm². What sets the two apart isn't just the two additional E-core clusters on "Raptor Lake-S," but also larger caches—2 MB of L2 per P-core, increased form 1.25 MB/core, and 4 MB per E-core cluster, increased from 2 MB/cluster.

Thanks to high quality die-shots of the "Arrow Lake-S" by Madness727, we have our first die-area estimations by A Hollow Knight on Twitter. The LGA1851 fiberglass substrate has the same dimensions as the LGA1700 substrate. This is to ensure the socket retains cooler compatibility. Using geometrical measurements, the base tile of the "Arrow Lake-S" is estimated to be 300.9 mm² in area. The base-tile is a more suitable guideline for "die-area," since Intel uses filler tiles to ensure gaps in the arrangement of logic tiles are filled, and the chip aligns with the base-tile below. The base tile, built on an Intel 22 nm foundry node, serves like a silicon interposer, facilitating high-density microscopic wiring between the various logic tiles stacked on top, and an interface to the fiberglass substrate below.

As we await the launch of Intel's "Arrow Lake-S" Core Ultra 200S series of processors for desktops, we are getting some new leaks about Intel's mainstream mobile "Arrow Lake-H" update. A month ago, we got the specification table of the high-end mobile "Arrow Lake-HX," and now, thanks to Jaykihn X, we have the mainstream laptop chip specifications as well. The top-of-the-line includes Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, a 45 W TDP SKU with six P-cores, eight E-cores, and two LPE cores. The CPU packs integrated Xe2 graphics with eight cores and 24 MB of total L3 cache and has a maximum boost of 5.4 GHz for P-cores.

Moving down the stack, there are Core Ultra 7 265H and Core Ultra 5 255H SKUs, which feature the same P/E/LPE core configuration. However, these SKUs are rated for 28 W TDP, having lower maximum frequencies and the same iGPU configuration. This time, we also have two Core Ultra 3 SKUs, with Core Ultra 3 235H and 225H bringing four P-cores, eight E-cores, and two LPE-cores in the 28 W package. The Core Ultra 3 235H has eight Xe2 cores in its iGPU, while the lowest-end Core Ultra 3 225H has only seven Xe2 iGPU cores. For a complete set of specifications, including all clock speeds in base and boost, please check out the table below.

Ahead of its October 23 release, PC enthusiast and Twitch streamer Madness727 released some of the first pictures of a de-lidded Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor. There's no word on which processor model this is, but it shouldn't matter—all models being released this month are based on the same exact configuration of tiles of the "Arrow Lake-S," which means a Compute tile with an 8P+16E core CPU complex, a Graphics tile with 4 Xe cores, and the larger version of the breakout I/O tile that features an integrated Thunderbolt 4 controller.

Intel already released information on its Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-H" mobile processor that comes out in Q1-2025, which is shown featuring a physically smaller Compute tile that has a 6P+8E core CPU complex, a larger Graphics tile with 8 Xe cores, and a smaller breakout I/O tile. You can see where this is going for some of the cheaper Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 3 desktop processor models that release in Q1-2025. De-lidding is the process of removing the integrated heatspreader of a desktop processor to enable direct contact between the chip below, and the cooling solution. It is preferred by professional overclockers that use extreme cooling solutions.

KLEVV, the leading consumer memory and storage brand introduced by Essencore, today announces its first-ever CU-DIMM & CSO-DIMM memory modules, which work seamlessly with the latest Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) "Arrow Lake-S" Processors/ Z890 platform to unleash the true DDR5 performance. KLEVV's next-generation DDR5 memory lineup receives a substantial performance boost with the integration of advanced Client Clock Driver (CKD) technology. Incorporated via a small integrated circuit (IC) directly on the DIMM, CKD IC enhances the module's speed and efficiency for both desktop and laptop applications. By regenerating the memory chips' clock signal, it improves stability, supports higher operating frequencies, and minimizes electrical interference and signal degradation—pushing the boundaries of memory performance.

Designed for both performance desktop and laptop systems, KLEVV's new Standard CU-DIMM and CSO-DIMM memory modules combine the brand's renowned quality with cutting-edge DDR5 technology, making them ideal for both casual and professional users. Leveraging the innovative CKD architecture, these modules deliver exceptional stability and reliability, even at high speeds, effectively mitigating electrical interference that could otherwise hinder performance. With this advanced design, users can count on smooth, efficient operation, even under heavy workloads.

Intel has released an updated version of its eXtreme Tuning Utility (XTU). The newest version, officially carrying the v10.0.0.76 moniker, is available to download. However, this version is designed exclusively for Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 200S series "Arrow Lake" processors. There are now two versions of Intel XTU: version 7.14.2.14, which supports unlocked Intel 14th Core and older processors, and version 10.x, which supports unlocked Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2) and newer. The XTU clocking utility only works on high-end Z-series boards like Z690, Z790, and the upcoming Z890 for "Arrow Lake-S." Below is a list of changes with XTU drivers now being replaced with Intel Innovation Platform Framework (IPF), which we are still trying to figure out what it is supposed to do. Many more features are listed below. However, we cannot decipher them until "Arrow Lake" reviews appear.

Intel's new Core Ultra processor model nomenclature is significantly different from the Core i7 series that held for 14 generations, since its 2008 debut. The desktop Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor family is led by the Core Ultra 9 285K, which is positioned as a successor to the Core i9-14900K. The choice of numbering the top SKU "285K" instead of something like the "290K," which even caused the top Core Ultra 7 SKU to be numbered the "265K," raises a few questions. The biggest of these is if Intel is creating room for a near-future SKU to go with "295K."

In the classic Intel Core series nomenclature, the digit following the first two, designates a position in the product stack. For example, in the i9-14900K, "14" points to the processor generation, followed by "9" as the top-spec SKU. If you wind the clocks back to the 10th Gen Core "Comet Lake," there was a top-spec Core i9-10900K, but there was also a Core i9-10850K. Both the i9-10900K and the i9-10850K are unlocked 10-core/20-thread parts with identical TDP, set apart only by their stock clock speeds. Could it be possible that the Core Ultra 9 285K is a distant descendant of the i9-10850K, and that Intel's top "Arrow Lake-S" part is the "295K?" Momomo_us recently dug out an inconspicuous Intel Support webpage listing out Core Ultra desktop processors without an included fan-heatsink. This is very likely a typo, but the page mentions a "295K" SKU instead of the Core Ultra 9 285K. This caused us to wonder if the "295K" is being reserved for an i9-14900KS successor.

MSI OCLab made some groundbreaking disclosures about the gaming performance of upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000X3D processors. It looks like AMD is set to dominate the Intel Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors in gaming performance, if these numbers hold up. In the games that MSI tested, namely "Far Cry 6," "Shadow of the Tomb Raider," and "Black Myth: Wukong," the "8-core 9000X3D" processor, or the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, is found to be 11% faster on average than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. The "16-core 9000X3D" processor, which is expected to be the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, is an impressive 13% faster than its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Normally we'd expect bigger gen-on-gen gains for the 8-core part than the 16-core part, but the 16-core 9000X3D pulling ahead by that much over its predecessor hints at the possibility of AMD either giving it significantly higher clock speeds, or the rumor about AMD deploying both 3D V-cache on both its CCDs could be true after all. The 9950X3D could end up roughly on-par with the 9800X3D if this turns out to be true, given that the gaming performance delta between the 7800X3D and 7950X3D is roughly that much—2-3 percentage points. Intel earlier this week officially announced the Core Ultra 2-series desktop processors. As part of the announcement, the company put out some first-party gaming performance numbers, which put the top Core Ultra 9 285K either on-par with the Core i9-14900K, or faster by 2-3%, which means it should land behind even the 7950X3D in gaming performance, and AMD is set to dominate Intel in gaming performance with the 9000X3D series.

MSI unveils its new lineup of AI gaming desktops, following the introduction of Intel's Arrow Lake-S desktop processors. The lineup features two advanced models: the MPG Infinite X3 AI and the MEG Vision X. These desktops harness the power of Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) with built-in Neural Processing Units (NPUs), coupled with NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. This powerful combination delivers enhanced performance in both AI-accelerated gaming and complex processing tasks, aiming to optimize the gaming experiences.

These new desktops are equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285K, boasting 8 P-Cores, 16 E-Cores, and an integrated 13 trillion operations per second (TOPS) NPU. When paired with up to a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, the systems achieve an impressive total of over 1300 TOPS, enabling them to handle advanced AI tasks effortlessly while enhancing gaming performance and AI-generated content (AIGC) efficiency. The integrated NPU significantly enhances processing capabilities, particularly for AI-related tasks. In applications like DIGIME software, it boosts AI inference efficiency while simultaneously reducing GPU load. This optimization not only improves performance in specific applications but also benefits overall AI computation across various tasks.

GIGABYTE Technology a leader in innovative cooling solutions, proudly announces the launch of the AORUS WATERFORCE AIO cooler, meticulously engineered to meet the demanding cooling needs of Intel Socket LGA 1851 CPU. With significant changes in hotspot locations and thermal requirements across the new CPU lineup, ensuring optimal cooling performance across all model configurations has become imperative. The AORUS WATERFORCE AIO cooler is designed with three key features that significantly enhance cooling efficiency for Socket LGA 1851 CPU.

Optimal Mounting Pressure Design
In alignment with Intel Socket LGA 1851 (Arrow Lake-S) Thermal Design Guide, the new socket LGA 1851 requires increased mounting pressure for optimal thermal performance. The AORUS WATERFORCE X II series & non-X II series cooler provides maximum mounting pressure, ensuring a firm fit that enhances heat transfer from the CPU to the cooler.

Intel's Arrow Lake-S launch line-up has been confirmed courtesy of serial leaker @9550pro on X/Twitter and although the leaked Intel product slide doesn't contain any real surprises by now, it does confirm that Intel will launch five different SKUs later this month. The Core 200S-series should be unveiled on Thursday by Intel, but retail availability isn't expected until the 24th of October. The Initial five CPU SKUs will be the Core Ultra 9 285K, the Core Ultra 7 265K and 265KF and finally the Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF. As noted earlier today in the performance leak of the Core Ultra 9 285K, the entire Arrow Lake-S series will lack Hyper-Threading in favour of more E-cores. The Core Ultra 9 285K features eight Lion Cove P-cores and 16 Skymont E-cores, followed by the Core Ultra 7 265 SKUs which retain the Lion Cove core count, but ends up with only 12 Skymont cores. Finally, the Core Ultra 5 SKUs have six Lion Cove P-cores and eight Skymont E-cores. All the upcoming SKUs feature Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost, a feature that used to be exclusive to the Core i9 tier of CPUs in the past, but only the Core Ultra 9 and Ultra 7 SKUs support Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0. The Core Ultra 9 and Ultra 7 SKUs have a maximum TDP of 250 W, with the Core Ultra 5 SKUs peaking at 159 W. All five processors have a base power of 125 W.

As such, we're looking at boost speeds of up to 5.7 GHz for the Core Ultra 9, 5.5 GHz for the Core Ultra 7 and 5.2 GHz for the Core Ultra 5 processors. The Core Ultra 5 has the highest base frequency of the three SKUs with the P-cores clocking in at 4.2 GHz and the E-cores at 3.6 GHz. The Core Ultra 7 follows at 3.9 GHz for the P-Cores and 3.3 GHz for the E-cores and finally the Core Ultra 9 has a base frequency of 3.7 GHz for the P-Cores and 3.2 GHz for the E-cores. Intel has upped the JEDEC memory support to DDR5-6400, which is an 800 MHz jump in the officially supported memory speed from its 14th Gen Core i processors. Up to 192 GB of RAM is supported, which is the same as the previous generation of desktop CPUs from Intel. The IGP sports four Xe-cores across the board of the K SKU CPUs, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of up to 2 GHz, although the Core Ultra 5 SKUs end up with an IGP that only boosts to 1.9 GHz. All SKUs also feature a third generation NPU capable of 13 TOPS, which is a lot weaker than the mobile Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake CPUs which have an NPU capable of up to 48 TOPS, depending on the SKU. As this leak appears to be from the same original source as the performance figures that leaked earlier, we'd assume the information is correct, especially as it lines up with earlier leaks, but it should still be taken with a pinch of salt until everything has been confirmed by Intel.

The Chinese tech press is abuzz with slides allegedly from Intel's pre-launch press-deck for the Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S." The most sensational of these are Intel's first-party performance claims for the top Core Ultra 9 285K model. There's good news and bad news. Good news first—Intel claims to have made a big leap in energy efficiency with "Arrow Lake," and the 285K should offer gaming performance comparable to the current Core i9-14900K at around 80 W lower power draw for the processor. But then there in lies the bad news—despite claimed IPC gains for the "Lion Cove" P-core, and rumored clock speeds being on par with the "Raptor Cove" P-cores on the i9-14900K, the 285K is barely any faster than its predecessor in absolute terms.

In its first party testing, when averaged across 12 game tests, which we used Google optical translation to make out the titles of, Intel used performance numbers of the i9-14900K as the mean. The 285K beats the i9-14900K in only four games—Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, Age of Mythology Retold, Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, and F1 23. It's on-par with the i9-14900K in Red Dead Redemption 2, Total War: Pharaoh, Metro Exodus, Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, Rainbow Six Siege. It's slower than the i9-14900K in Far Cry 6, FF XIV, F1 24, Red Dead Redemption 2. Averaged across this bench, the Core Ultra 9 285K ends up roughly on par with the Core i9-14900K in gaming. Intel also compared the 285K to AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X, and interestingly, even the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Some of the first images of a de-lidded Intel Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" processor surfaced on the web, confirming a disaggregated chiplet-based processor design. Intel pivoted to chiplet based processors with its Core Ultra "Meteor Lake," allowing it to build specific IP blocks of the processor on different foundry nodes, ensuring the ones that don't need the most advanced nodes can make do with slightly older ones, thereby maximizing Intel's yields for that advanced node. The die shot reveals a similar level of disaggregation to "Meteor Lake" than that of the more recent Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" mobile processor.

With "Lunar Lake," Intel had re-aggregated a few things. "Lunar Lake" only has two tiles—SoC tile and I/O tile. The 3 nm SoC tile contains the CPU complex, a large iGPU, and a large 40 TOPS-class NPU, all sharing die-space with the memory controllers, and PCIe root complex. The smaller 6 nm I/O tile contains the PHYs of the various I/O interfaces. The "Arrow Lake" chip appears to have a similar degree of disaggregation as "Meteor Lake." We can spot at least five tiles sitting on top of the Foveros base tile. The picture has no annotation for the various tiles, but recent reports by Moore's Law is Dead and Jay Kihn shed some light on what these could be.

According to the latest PassMark benchmarks, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is the highest-performing single-thread CPU. The benchmark king title comes as PassMark's official account on X shared single-threaded performance number, with the upcoming Arrow Lake-S flagship SKU, Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scoring 5,268 points in single-core results. This is fantastic news for gamers, as games mostly care about single-core performance. This CPU, having 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores, boasts 5.7 GHz P-core boost and 4.6 GHz E-core boost frequencies. The single-core tests put the new SKU at 11% lead compared to the previous-generation Intel Core i9-14900K processor.

However, the multithreaded cases are running more slowly. The PassMark multithreaded results put Intel Core Ultra 9 285K at 46,872 points, which is about 22% slower than the last-generation top SKU. While this may be a disappointment for some, it is partially expected, given that Arrow Lake stops the multithreaded designs in Intel CPU families. From now on, every CPU will be a combination of P and E-Cores, tuned for efficiency or performance depending on the use case. It is also possible that the CPU used inn PassMark's testing was an engineering sample, so until official launch, we have no concrete information about its definitive performance comparison.

ASRock has a pretty comprehensive lineup of upcoming Socket LGA1851 motherboards based on the top Intel Z890 chipset, which the company will launch alongside the new Intel Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors later this month. The company's Z890 lineup has been leaked to the web by VideoCardz. The lineup covers nearly every brand extension by ASRock, addressing a wide category of PC users, from the entry level that just wants an office desktop to harness the CPU power of the new processors, to the two distinct classes of the enthusiast segment—one which overclocks, and the other that needs every possible premium I/O from this platform, with the bulk of the lineup targeting gaming PC builders across price-segments.

At the very top are ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF and the ASRock Z890 Taichi. The Taichi OCF is the spiritual successor to the OC Formula series by ASRock targeting professional overclockers. It has the strongest possible CPU VRM solution from the company, the largest selection of overclocker-friendly features, and a 1 DIMM per channel (1DPC) memory configuration, for the highest possible memory overclocks. The Taichi OCF has most if not all of the I/O goodies ASRock has to offer. For this, you'll have to seek out the regular ASRock Z890 Taichi, with its four DDR5 memory slots, nearly the same overclocking feature-set as the Taichi OCF, but some added toys, such as Thunderbolt 4. The Z890 Taichi Lite is an interesting product—it has nearly all features that place it into the high-end segment, such as that 8-layer PCB, a strong CPU VRM, and premium onboard audio, among others; but skips on the bulk of the dramatic flair of the Z890 Taichi.

Canadian online retailer ShopRBC put up listings of unreleased Intel Core Ultra 200-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors. While the availability listed is zero, you can backorder these chips at the prices listed, so they are shipped when available. The flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (8P+16E) processor is listed at CAD $852 (around USD $628). There is no "KF" variant of this part unlike with past generations of Intel flagship SKUs. The Core Ultra 7 265K (8P+12E) is next up, at CAD $589 (USD $435). Its KF variant, which lacks integrated graphics, is up for CAD $22 less than that (CAD $567 or USD $418).

Intel's middle-of-the-market part for this generation, the Core Ultra 5 245K (6P+8E) is next up, listed at CAD $450, or USD $331. You can back-order its KF variant for CA $23 less, at CA $427 (USD $315). The Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake-S" introduces the new Socket LGA1851, and so online retailers around the world should begin putting up compatible motherboards based on the Intel Z890 chipset, which is rumored to be the only chipset option available with these chips until Q1-2025, when Intel fleshes out the series with non-K SKUs and value chipsets such as the B860.

Hot on the heels of yesterday's leak of the Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake" retail box, we have pictures of the boxes the Core Ultra 7 265K/KF, and the Core Ultra 5 245K/KF. These are simpler paperboard boxes that retain essential box-art design of the 285K, but lack the fancy jewel-case. The processor comes in the usual plastic blister inside the box, along with the case badge. This time around, Intel is not releasing a "KF" variant of the Core Ultra 9 285K, but if down the line it does, you can expect it to come in a similar simple retail package as the 265K/KF.

The Intel Core Ultra main brand is positioned prominently on the front face. Much like the 14th Gen Core, the Intel brand is displayed in the same font size as Core. Below the two, is the Unlocked designation, followed by "Series 2," which indicates the 200 processor model numbering sequence. The top-right corner has the brand extension (3, 5, 7, 9). Intel is expected to launch its Core Ultra 200-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors in late-October, 2024.

Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors will herald a new wave of overclocking memory kits as the architecture is expected to support even higher memory speeds than the current 14th Gen Core. The product page of an ASRock Z890 motherboard lists out maximum memory speeds for various DIMM configurations. The most overclocker-friendly config—1 single-rank DIMM per channel—sees ASRock mention support for DDR5-9200+ (OC). The fastest DDR5 OC memory kits in the market are DDR5-8600, and over the Summer, JEDEC announced standardization of high frequency DDR5 configurations, including the likes of DDR5-8800. Such high frequencies require the DIMM to feature a clock driver.

Those looking for high capacity memory configurations have big reason to cheer. For two single-rank DIMMs per channel, or one dual-rank DIMM per channel, the motherboard's product page mentions an OC speed of DDR5-6800+. This should be a boon for those wanting large memory capacities such as 96 GB or 128 GB using dual-rank DIMMs at reasonably high speeds. Even the densest memory configuration, two dual-rank DIMMs per channel, has a maximum OC speed of DDR5-5800+. This should allow users to approach the platform's maximum memory capacity, such as 256 GB using four 64 GB dual-rank DIMMs, or 192 GB using four 48 GB DIMMs, but at much higher speeds that what the current platforms are capable of.

Intel is expected to launch its next-generation Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors on October 24, 2024, and since these chips introduce the new Socket LGA1851, they launch alongside new motherboards. The first wave of Core Ultra 200 series processors will be "K" or "KF" SKUs targeting gamers and enthusiasts, and the first compatible motherboards will be based on the premium Intel Z890 chipset. Intel is reportedly being extra careful not to repeat the "Raptor Lake" fiasco that saw motherboards power its 13th- and 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processors with elevated voltages, causing their irreversible physical degradation over time. To this effect, Intel is reportedly getting its motherboard partners to ship their Intel Z890 chipset motherboards with Intel Default Power Profile out of the box.

A motherboard-level Power Profile dictates the processor base power (PL1), maximum turbo power (PL2), and IccMax values. We don't know these values for "Arrow Lake-S," particularly its top Core Ultra 9 285K part; but to illustrate what Default Power Profile out of the box means, we have to look at "Raptor Lake-S." For a Core i9-14900K, the Performance Power Profile—which is what Intel Z690 and Z790 motherboards enable out of the box—provide a PL1 of 125 W, PL2 of 253 W, and IccMax of 307 W, which is what Intel considers stock for this processor model.

Intel has reportedly delayed the launch of its next-generation Core Ultra 200K series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors by a week. Originally slated for an October 17, 2024 launch, these chips are now releasing on October 24, according to HKEPC. There's no reason cited for the delay, it probably has to do with retailer stocking. The delay isn't significant. The Core Ultra 200K introduce a new CPU socket, the LGA1851, which means these chips need to launch alongside new motherboards based on the Intel 800-series.

The initial wave of processors is expected to include only SKUs targeting overclockers and enthusiasts. These include the Core Ultra 9 285K (8P+16E), the Core Ultra 7 265K (8P+12E), and the Core Ultra 5 245K (6P+8E), and their "KF" variants that lack integrated graphics. It's also expected that the first wave of compatible motherboards will only come with the premium Intel Z890 chipset, which supports CPU overclocking. Intel will likely expand its processor model selection, along with more affordable chipsets, such as the B860, around the 2025 International CES.

Intel may have debuted its Hybrid (heterogeneous multicore) architecture for the desktop with the 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S," but the value-ended Core i3 series SKUs throughout the 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen Core processors have remained 4-core/8-thread traditional multicore chips, with just four P-cores. Intel is about to change this with the Core Ultra 200 series "Arrow Lake-S." According to OneRaichu, a reliable source with Intel leaks, the company is giving finishing touches to a pair of Core Ultra 3 series desktop processor SKUs based on the "Arrow Lake" microarchitecture. These will be 8-core chips, a doubling in core-count form the past generations, but the nature of these 8 cores is not yet known.

Among the SKUs in the leak are the Core Ultra 3 205, and the Core Ultra 3 215, both of which are 8-core chips. The two are probably differentiated in a similar manner to past generations of Intel Core i3 desktop did, using cache sizes (eg: Core i3-10100 and i3-10300). The chips probably feature a 4P+4E core configuration, as a "2P+6E" configuration might not be possible, as the E-core clusters are indivisible, although we don't know if the same rule applies to the "Skymont" E-core clusters. The dedicated L2 caches of both the P-cores and E-core clusters could be smaller than on Core Ultra 5 and above SKUs. The Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" processor uses "Lion Cove" P-cores with 2.5 MB of L2 cache per core, while the Core Ultra 9 285K probably has "Lion Cove" P-cores with 3 MB of L2 cache per core.

With AMD having launched its new processor generation, all eyes are now on the Core Ultra 200 series "Arrow Lake." We finally have some idea about its launch date, thanks to a leak by Benchlife.info. Apparently, Intel is launching the Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake-S" series processor family on October 10, 2024. At this point it's not known if this will be a low-key media event, or a completely online launch, since Intel has pulled the plug on the Innovation 2024 event, which would have been the launchpad for these processors. The October 10 date aligns with past rumors that pointed to a Q4-2024 launch for at least the -K and -KF desktop processor SKUs targeting PC enthusiasts and gamers; with the series putting on bulk in 2025. We've gone into the probable SKUs Intel will launch in its first wave in our older article, here.

Intel is preparing at least twelve Core Ultra 200-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor SKUs for the consumer segment, with more variants possible for the commercial desktop segment in the future. Q4 2024 could see the company debut its first SKUs targeting the PC enthusiast and gamer crowd with as many as five unlocked K or KF series SKUs. These, and finer details such as clock speeds, were revealed in a massive info dump by Jaykihn, a reliable source with Intel leaks. Intel is expected to debut the series later this year with the Core Ultra 9 285K, the Core Ultra 7 265K and 265KF; and the Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF. The company is skipping a KF SKU for its top Core Ultra 9 part.

As has been consistent for several past generations of Intel processors, the top Core Ultra 9 (formerly Core i9) tier gets Thermal Velocity Boost, Turbo Boost Max 3.0, and classic Turbo Boost 2.0. The 285K maxes out the "Arrow Lake-S" B0 silicon, enabling all 8 "Lion Cove" P-cores, and all 16 "Skymont" E-cores. It comes with a P-core base frequency of 3.70 GHz, and an impressive 3.20 GHz E-core base frequency. The maximum P-core boost frequency achievable for up to two cores is 5.70 GHz, and 3-6 as well as 7-8 cores boost up to 5.40 GHz, making it the all-P-core boost frequency for this chip. The four E-core clusters are assured an all-E-core boost frequency of 4.60 GHz. The iGPU has 64 execution units, and ticks at up to 2.00 GHz.

Intel Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors are expected to debut later this year, and introduce the new Lion Cove P-cores, along with Skymont E-cores to the desktop platform. Engineering samples and qualification samples with specs close to retail chips seem to already be in the hands of PC OEMs and motherboard vendors, given the volume of leaks over the past few days. Jaykihn0, one of the more influential sources of these leaks, revealed a few interesting details of the maximum boost frequencies of these chips.

The QS of a top Core Ultra 9 "Arrow Lake-S" SKU, probably the flagship model that succeeds the current Core i9-14900K, is described as having a maximum P-core boost frequency of 5.70 GHz, and an all-P-core boost frequency of 5.40 GHz. The maximum E-core boost frequency, which is also the all-E-core boost frequency, is said to be 4.60 GHz. Let's unpack this. "Arrow Lake" uses the same mix of "Lion Cove" P-cores and "Skymont" E-cores as "Lunar Lake," albeit arranged along a ringbus, and sharing an L3 cache, unlike on "Lunar Lake," where the P-cores have their own exclusive L3 cache, and the E-cores are arranged in a low-power island, with the fabric of the SoC tile connecting the two.

A CPU-Z screenshot of an alleged Intel Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor engineering sample is doing rounds on social media, thanks to wxnod. CPU-Z identifies the chip with an Intel Core Ultra case badge with the deep shade of blue associated with the Core Ultra 9 brand extension, which hints at this being the top Core Ultra 9 285K processor model, we know it's the "K" or "KF" SKU looking at its processor base power reading of 125 W. The chip is built in the upcoming Intel Socket LGA1851. CPU-Z displays the process node as 7 nm, which corresponds with the Intel 4 foundry node.

Intel is using the same Intel 4 foundry node for "Arrow Lake-S" as the compute tile of its "Meteor Lake" processor. Intel 4 offers power efficiency and performance comparable to 4 nm nodes from TSMC, although it is physically a 7 nm node. Likewise, the Intel 3 node is physically 5 nm. If you recall, the main logic tile of "Lunar Lake" is being built on the TSMC N3P (3 nm) node. This means that Intel is really gunning for performance/Watt with "Lunar Lake," to get as close to the Apple M3 Pro as possible.

A picture of a bare PCB of an upcoming GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS Pro Ice motherboard confirms that Intel will use the Core Ultra branding for its next-generation desktop processors based on the "Arrow Lake-S" microarchitecture. The picture reveals the CPU socket area, where the Socket LGA1851 will be installed, besides the CPU VRM component, the BIOS ROM, and the DDR5 DIMM slots, among other minor components. Although incompatible with LGA1700, the new LGA1851 socket has an identical cooler mount layout to it, and retains cooler compatibility, much like LGA1200 did with LGA1151. The AORUS Pro Ice comes with four DDR5 DIMM slots, as that's the only memory standard supported by "Arrow Lake" (no DDR4 support); and the CPU VRM solution uses DrMOS.

Our older article details the I/O aspects of "Arrow Lake-S." It is almost identical to the LGA1700, except it has four additional PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU, for a total of 20 Gen 5 lanes, and 12 Gen 4 lanes. All Z890 motherboards will come with an M.2 Gen 5 NVMe slot that doesn't eat into the PCI-Express 5.0 x16 PEG slot's bandwidth; and an additional Gen 4 x4 that can either be wired out as an M.2 slot, or be used to drive bandwidth-hungry onboard devices, such as discrete Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 controllers. The chipset bus continues to be DMI 4.0 x8, or 128 Gbps per direction.