Please note that this post is tagged as a rumor .
Rumor: Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus (Arrow Lake Refresh) may add more E cores, keep LGA1851
Board Channel sources claim Intel will leverage a more mature manufacturing process for its upcoming Core Ultra 200K Plus series to improve yields and fix potential driver or firmware issues seen in earlier versions. Allegedly, the goal is to fully unleash Arrow Lake’s design performance. Intel is also said to be aiming for “ more for the same price ” to improve value and defend its position against rivals.
And let’s remind readers that Arrow Lake launched with a disappointing official 5% performance drop compared to Intel’s own Raptor Lake series. This refresh is said to address that gap.
Just as we exclusively revealed, Intel is planning three SKUs: Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. The Ultra 7 270K Plus is rumored to move from 8P plus 12E to 8P plus 16E, while the Ultra 5 250K Plus may go from 6P plus 8E to 6P plus 12E.
One of the things that Intel has already confirmed is memory speed support is also expected to rise, with default DDR5 support reportedly moving from 6400 MT/s to 7200 MT/s , while base power stays the same. Performance claims range from at least 10% to as much as 20% to 30% in some games, but those gaming numbers should be treated as unverified until independent testing.
Source: Board Channels (translation)
Intel is more than likely to announce the new series at CES 2026. This rumor also mentions that Core Ultra 200K Plus may launch around March next year, but I’m not sure how accurate this is given that we already have leaks from retailers .
| Arrow Lake vs Arrow Lake Refresh | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | Ultra 9 290K Plus🆕 | Ultra 9 285K | Ultra 7 270K Plus🆕 | Ultra 7 265K | Ultra 5 250K Plus🆕 | Ultra 5 245K |
| Cores (P+E) | 8P+16E | 8P+16E | 8P+16E | 8P+12E | 6P+12E | 6P+8E |
| TVB | 5.8 GHz | 5.7 GHz | – | – | – | – |
| Turbo Boost Max | 5.6 GHz | 5.6 GHz | 5.5 GHz | 5.5 GHz | – | – |
| P-Core Turbo | 5.6 GHz | 5.5 GHz | 5.4 GHz | 5.4 GHz | 5.3 GHz | 5.2 GHz |
| E-Core Turbo | 4.8 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| P-Core Base | 3.7 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 3.9 GHz | 4.2 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| E-Core Base | 3.2 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz | 3.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Memory Support | DDR5-7200 | DDR5-6400 | DDR5-7200 | DDR5-6400 | DDR5-7200 | DDR5-6400 |
| Base Power | 125 W | 125 W | 125 W | 125 W | 125 W | 125 W |
| Max Turbo Power | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 250 W | 159 W | 159 W |
Source: Board Channels
