Intel Refreshes Arrow Lake CPUs: Focus on Multithreading and Memory

New details have emerged about Intel's plans for next year. According to several sources, the company is preparing to launch a refreshed lineup of desktop processors, the Arrow Lake Refresh, which could be the last for the current LGA 1851 socket. Three new models are expected to be announced—the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus.

The most interesting changes affect the lower-tier models. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus will now feature the same number of Efficient Cores (E-Cores) as the flagship—16, compared to 12 in its predecessor. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is getting a similar boost, where the number of E-Cores will increase from 8 to 12. For users, this could mean better multithreaded performance in everyday tasks. The flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus won't see any changes to its core configuration but will receive a slight frequency bump.

Another key improvement is official support for faster DDR5-7200 memory, as the standard for current Arrow Lake processors is DDR5-6400. This change will allow the new chips to work with higher-performance RAM kits right out of the box, without overclocking. The thermal package (TDP) for the refreshed models will remain at the same level, suggesting optimizations in power efficiency.

The initial market launch of Arrow Lake processors was met without much fanfare, especially in the gaming segment, where the performance gains were modest. These new models appear designed to strengthen the lineup's position without a main platform change.

These processors are expected to go on sale early next year. Since Intel rarely discontinues older models immediately, the market will likely see a choice between the original Arrow Lake CPUs and their refreshed versions with the "Plus" suffix.