Intel today launched the Core Ultra 200S ‘Arrow Lake’ series processor family for desktop computers. The flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285K leads the charge, promising enthusiasts unparalleled performance and AI capabilities over the last-gen Core i9-14900K.
There are four other SKUs—Core Ultra 7 265K, Core Ultra 7 265KF, Core Ultra 5 245K, and Core Ultra 5 245KF. These processors are equipped with up to 8 next-gen ‘Lion Cove’ Performance-cores (P-cores) and 16 next-gen ‘Skymont’ Efficient-cores (E-cores).
The configuration is virtually identical to the 14th gen models with the exception that HyperThreading has been chucked out in this generation and so, each of the P-cores have a single thread each, similar to E-cores. Clock speeds have gone down too with the flagship 285K topping out at 5.7GHz compared to 6GHz on the 14900K.
Despite the changes, these processors are able to deliver a remarkable 14 percent boost in multi-threaded workloads compared to their predecessors, Intel claims, partly due to a 9 percent improvement in IPC (instructions per clock) for the P-cores (IPC for the E-cores is up by 32 percent).
Gaming is a mixed bag with their four Intel Xe Cores delivering more or less performance parity with the 14900K although at considerably lower power figures. Efficiency in fact is a big draw for these new processors.
The Core Ultra 200S series boasts significant power reductions, with up to 58 percent lower package power in everyday tasks and up to 165W lower system power during gaming. Lower power also means less heat. Intel claims on the 285K, things can run up to 13-degrees cooler than the 14900K.
Notably, they are the first desktop processors to feature a built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Content creators and even gamers will therefore benefit from the processors’ complete AI capabilities, powered by the CPU, GPU, and NPU. AI-enabled creator applications experience up to 50 percent faster performance compared to competing flagship processors, Intel says. The NPU can also enhance gaming by offloading AI functions, freeing up the discrete GPU for higher frame rates and enabling features like face and gesture tracking.
These processors come with new socket and motherboard chipsets. They are compatible with socket LGA1851 and Intel 800 Series chipset. They have more PCIe lanes and drop support for DDR4 memory (they support 6400MHz memory as standard). Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi are supported.
The Intel Core Ultra 200S series processors will be available starting October 24, 2024.