The Intel processor range will soon be expanded with a new series on the desktop front, as the Raptor Lake Refresh models, i.e. the 14th generation Intel Core, will be replaced by the Core Ultra 200 series, whose members are built around the Arrow Lake chip, also on the Arrow Lake-S variant. As for the new processors, the new naming is justified by the completely new architecture, thus aligning with the system already presented for mobile processors with the arrival of Meteor Lake.
The approach to launching Arrow Lake-S processors is perfectly illustrated by the fact that The box image was leaked.Which belongs to the Core Ultra 9 series. The design has changed a lot compared to the usual design of the Raptor Lake Refresh series, so it will be easy to distinguish the members of the two series based on the box. Since it is a box from the Core Ultra 9 series products, it is likely that the Core Ultra 9 285K processor will be hidden, because in the first round only this model occupies a place in this category. The Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 5 versions get a simpler design in comparison, but that is not surprising.
One significant change is that Arrow Lake-S processors are now Hyper-Threading-free, meaning the number of cores is the same as the number of threads. The Core Ultra 9 285K has a total of 8 Lion Cove P-Cores and a total of 16 Skymont E-Cores available – the former can be tuned for performance and the latter can be optimized for power efficiency. The 24-core processor can handle 24 threads at the same time, its base TDP will be 125W, and the maximum boost clock for the P-Core section could be 5.7GHz based on leaked information so far.
In addition to the Core Ultra 9 285K, four more processors will arrive, including the Core Ultra 7 265K and Core Ultra 7 265KF, as well as the Core Ultra 5 245K and Core Ultra 245KF. The “K” series models have a multiply-lockless architecture and an active iGPU, while the “KF”-branded versions no longer have an active iGPU associated with the multiply-lockless architecture.
Based on previous rumors, the official launch of Arrow Lake-S processors could take place on October 10, 2024, but we won’t see them in commercial circulation until October 24, 2024 – a week later than the first rumors claimed, because for some the reason is due to Intel’s initial delay, if we can believe the rumors. The new processors will come in the LGA-1851 package, which is the same size as the LGA-1700, but there will be no transition between the two socket types. That’s why, in addition to Arrow Lake-S processors, motherboards with 800-series chipsets will be required.
The high-end Z890 models will appear first, with the new processors at the same time, and later, sometime early next year, cheaper motherboards and processors with double locking may also be introduced. This is expected to happen sometime around CES 2025. Important: 800-series motherboards and Arrow Lake-S processors no longer support DDR4 memory modules, and DDR5 memory modules will definitely be needed.
