Intel’s newest desktop processors codenamed Arrow Lake are now official with built-in GPU, NPU, and connectivity for the first time in a desktop-class CPU. Carrying the moniker of the 'Core Ultra 200S'  series, these chips bring slightly improved single and multi-core performance, with drastically less power draw. In this article, let's talk in short about the latest Intel Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200S processors, their improvements, and features, and the expected price in Nepal alongside availability.

Intel Arrow Lake Desktop Processors

Power Improvements

The Arrow Lake processors have new Lion Cover P cores, and Skymont E cores replacing the Redwood and Crestmont cores we saw in Meteor Lake. We see a five-tile chiplet design with the compute tile fabbed on the N3B node, the graphics tile on the N5P, and the others on a larger N6 node. This ensures better efficiency while keeping costs down and also has the added benefit of granular control which comes in handy during things like overclocking. There are other changes in the architectural design as well like how the E cores are now in between P cores and not in their own separate block, or how the L3 cache is now shared between the two. It's all stacked using 'Industry Leading' Foveros 3D packing tech. The maximum TDP ratings for the Ultra 9 and 7 are still high at 250W but Intel says that there's up to 40% less consumption in normal computing loads. The Ultra 5 can go up to 159W, roughly 14% less than the i5 14600K, and the maximum CPU temps limit is at 105ºC for all of Arrow Lake. The best part of all this is despite the lower power draw, the single and multicore performance saw a tiny improvement (<10%) over the last gen as well as the competition.

iGPU and Extras

The integrated graphics consist of the older 4 Xe cores that we saw in Meteor Lake and not the improved Xe-2 cores of Lunar Lake. Regardless, Intel promised twice the iGPU performance over its last-gen offerings. That being said the gaming performance of the new Arrow Lake chips doesn't seem very compelling, especially since it looks like the flagship Ultra 9 285K might lose to its own last-gen 14900K sibling. Moving on, there's also a dedicated NPU pushing up to 13 TOPS on its own but that is unlikely to make a huge difference since most PCs have discrete GPUs which are just more capable in terms of raw numbers.

Compatibility

The Arrow Lake chipsets are compatible with the LGA 1851 socket so you'd have to get new motherboards to use one in your current system. They also drop support for older DDR4 memory, so you have to go with either DDR5 or CUDIMM DDR5 with abilities to overclock boost speeds. The new 800 series chipset baked in has support for Thunderbolt 4, PCI 4.0, WiFi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 while dedicated chips in upcoming motherboards will enhance support for Thunderbolt 5, WiFi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4.

Initial Options

The Arrow Lake-S lineup includes various configurations ranging from 14-core to 24-core models. The processors have a TDP between 125W and 250W, with base clock speeds starting at 3.2 GHz and going up to 5.7 GHz. 

Specifically speaking, Intel is launching these five SKUs initially with other models launching after. The gateway Core Ultra 5 245K/KF, then the middle of the pack Core Ultra 7 265K/KF, and finally the top-of-line Core Ultra 9 285K for PC enthusiasts. The KF models are the exact same processors as their K counterparts except without an integrated GPU to save costs. It's expected that more options like the Core Ultra 9 285, Core Ultra 7 265T, and Core Ultra 5 225F will also be available later on. But we expect additional offerings only after the announcement of their mobile counterparts, likely in Q1 of 2025.

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Intel Arrow Lake Processors: Conclusion 

Intel is getting these new Arrow Lake chips to market as soon as possible with pre-orders opening on the 24th of October. The Core Ultra 200S desktop chips don't boast revolutionary improvements in terms of performance, and even gaming, but they do consume a lot less power, and come with AI innovations sprinkled on top. It'll be interesting to see how the new chips will hold up against the current competition (Ryzen 9000) and even their own predecessors.

• Meanwhile, watch our video on 'Best Laptops for students'