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Intel Launches Core Series 3 and Core Ultra 200S Plus Processors

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Intel Announces New Processor Families for Laptops and Desktops

Intel has announced multiple new processor families, including budget-oriented Core Series 3 chips for laptops and the Core Ultra 200S Plus "Arrow Lake Refresh" series for desktops. The company also introduced new mobile processors for gaming laptops and quietly added a new model to its mobile lineup. These releases feature technical improvements and are positioned with competitive pricing against rival products.

New Budget Laptop Processors: Core Series 3

Intel has released a new line of budget-oriented laptop processors called the Core Series 3.

Manufacturing: The chips are manufactured in the United States at Intel's Hillsboro and Chandler wafer fabs using the company's 18A process node, described as a 2nm-class technology.

Design: The processors are described as a cut-down version of the Core Ultra Series 3 processors launched earlier. Most models feature up to six CPU cores: two high-performance 'Cougar Cove' cores and four low-power 'Darkmont' efficiency cores.

Graphics and AI: Most models feature 2 Xe3 graphics cores. The integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is reported to deliver between 15 and 17 INT8 TOPS for local AI tasks. Intel states the combined NPU, GPU, and CPU can deliver up to 40 platform TOPS.

Memory and Connectivity: The chips support up to 48 GB of LPDDR5 7467 MT/s memory or 64 GB of user-serviceable DDR5 6400 MT/s memory on a single memory channel. They include integrated support for Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2, WiFi 7, and Bluetooth 6.

Performance and Availability: Intel claims the 15W Core 7 360 model delivers 47% higher single-threaded and 41% higher multi-core performance compared to 11th-generation Tiger Lake processors in Cinebench 2024. The chips will be featured in over 70 partner system designs, with the first systems becoming available on a specified Thursday. Intel also positions these for low-power edge computing systems expected to ship later in the current quarter.

Desktop Processor Refresh: Core Ultra 200S Plus

Intel has launched refreshed desktop processors, the Core Ultra 200S Plus series, based on the Arrow Lake architectural design.

Announced Models and Pricing

Two primary models have been announced for release on March 26:

  • Core Ultra 7 270K Plus: Priced at $299, featuring 24 cores (8 Performance cores and 16 Efficient cores).
  • Core Ultra 5 250K Plus: Priced at $199, featuring 18 cores (6 Performance cores and 12 Efficient cores).

KF variants, which lack integrated graphics, will also be launched. Intel has not announced a Core Ultra 9 model for this refresh.

Technical Improvements

The refresh includes several technical adjustments:

  • Interconnect Speed: The clock speed for die-to-die interconnects between chiplets has been increased by up to 900MHz, intended to improve bandwidth and reduce latency.
  • Memory Support: The memory controller now officially supports DDR5 memory at 7,200MHz, an increase from the previous 6,400MHz. Support for 4-rank CUDIMM memory modules is also included.
  • Clock Speeds: P-core and E-core base clocks are increased by 200MHz and 100MHz, respectively, on the new models.
  • Intel Binary Optimization Tool (iBot): A new software tool described as a binary translation layer designed to improve instructions per cycle (IPC) and performance in select games and applications.

Reported Performance Claims

Intel has released performance data for the new CPUs, primarily comparing them to previous Intel generations and AMD Ryzen processors.

Intel claims the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is 15% faster on average in 1080p gaming than the Core Ultra 7 265K, 5% faster than the Core i9-14900K, and 4% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X.

  • Core Ultra 7 270K Plus: It is reported to be 12% slower on average than the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. In multi-threaded applications, Intel claims up to double the performance of some AMD competitors and up to a 10% lead over the Ryzen 9 9950X in content creation.
  • Core Ultra 5 250K Plus: Intel claims a 13% average gaming improvement over the Core Ultra 5 245K and comparable gaming performance to the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X. In multi-threaded applications, Intel claims up to a 103% (2x) improvement over the Ryzen 5 9600X in specific benchmarks.

Third-Party Analysis and Platform

Independent reviews indicate the new CPUs offer strong productivity application performance and improved gaming performance over their non-Plus predecessors. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is noted to achieve gaming performance parity with the Ryzen 5 9600X while showing higher performance in productivity tasks.

The processors remain compatible with existing Intel LGA 1851 socket motherboards, though a BIOS update may be recommended. Concerns have been noted regarding the platform's longevity, as the LGA 1851 socket is expected to be replaced, while AMD's AM5 platform has confirmed support until at least 2027.

Status of Core Ultra 9 290K Plus

Following the launch, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus did not appear among the released models. Reports suggest the chip may have been canceled. However, leaked Geekbench listings for a processor identified as the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus showed single-core and multi-core scores approximately 13-20% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285K. It is possible these results are from an engineering sample. Intel has not announced plans to release this SKU commercially.

New Mobile Processors for Gaming Laptops

Intel has introduced two new flagship CPUs for gaming laptops:

  • Core Ultra 9 290 HX Plus: A 24-core, 24-thread processor.
  • Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus: A 20-core, 20-thread processor.

These "Arrow Lake Refresh" chips include the Intel Binary Optimization Tool. Intel claims the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus offers an 8% increase in gaming performance over the last-generation Core Ultra 9 285HX and a 62% uplift compared to a four-year-old Core i9-12900HX. Specific launch dates for laptops equipped with these chips have not been announced, with Intel deferring to OEM partners for release schedules.

Addition to Mobile Lineup: Core Ultra 7 251HX

Intel has quietly added the Core Ultra 7 251HX to its Arrow Lake-HX mobile processor lineup without a formal announcement. The chip features an 18-core, 18-thread configuration (6 P-cores, 12 E-cores), placing it between the 14-core Ultra 5 245HX and the 20-core Ultra 7 255HX. It has a 55W TDP, boost speeds up to 5.1 GHz, and incorporates three Xe3 graphics cores.

Future Roadmap and Competition

Intel executives have stated the company's intention to produce the fastest gaming CPUs with its forthcoming Nova Lake architecture, aiming to surpass AMD's X3D lineup.

They acknowledged AMD currently holds a lead in gaming performance with its 3D V-cache technology. Intel described its roadmap as "better than ever for gamers" and confirmed a plan to reverse declining market share among gamers, starting with the mid-range Core Ultra 200S Plus series. Competition is expected to intensify with AMD's Zen 6 architecture also in development.