Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake processor, the Core Ultra 9 285, is making waves in the tech community with its impressive performance in leaked benchmarks. Despite being a 65W non-K series CPU, it appears to match or even surpass the performance of its power-hungry predecessor, the Core i9-14900K.
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| An advanced circuit board exemplifying the sophisticated technology of Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 9 285 processor |
Surprising Performance from a Low-Power Chip
The Core Ultra 9 285 is part of Intel's new Arrow Lake lineup, featuring a unique core configuration:
- 8 P-cores (Lion Cove architecture)
- 16 E-cores (Skymont architecture)
- 24 cores total (no Hyper-Threading)
- 76MB total cache (40MB L2 + 36MB L3)
- 5.6 GHz boost clock
What's particularly noteworthy is that this chip achieves its performance while maintaining a base TDP of just 65W, compared to the 14900K's 125W base TDP.
Benchmark Results
Recent Geekbench 6 scores show the Core Ultra 9 285 holding its own against high-end processors:
- Single-core score: 3,247 points
- Multi-core score: 20,204 points
These results put it neck-and-neck with the Core i9-14900K, despite having 8 fewer threads due to the lack of Hyper-Threading.
Efficiency Gains
The most impressive aspect of these leaks is the Core Ultra 9 285's efficiency. It manages to match or beat the 14900K's performance while operating within a much tighter power envelope. This suggests significant improvements in Intel's architecture and manufacturing process.
What This Means for Consumers
If these benchmarks hold true in real-world scenarios, the Core Ultra 9 285 could be an excellent option for:
- Power-conscious gamers
- Small form-factor builds
- OEM systems prioritizing efficiency
Looking Ahead
While the high-end K series Arrow Lake CPUs are set to launch on October 24, 2024, the non-K variants like the Core Ultra 9 285 are expected to be unveiled at CES 2025. As always with leaks, it's important to approach these results with cautious optimism until we see official benchmarks and real-world testing.
The Core Ultra 9 285's apparent ability to match a previous-generation flagship while consuming significantly less power is a promising sign for Intel's Arrow Lake architecture. It suggests that we may see substantial gains in both performance and efficiency across the entire product stack.