It won’t be long now until the Core Ultra 200 series, otherwise known as Intel Arrow Lake, makes its debut in the desktop space. However, according to recent specs leaks, the thread count of these CPUs will be decidedly different from previous generations.
Core Ultra 200 series processors will mark the first serious attempt by Intel to disrupt perceptions surrounding the best gaming CPU since the launch of its 13th gen Core chips, with the company’s 14th gen Core line largely serving as a minor refresh. Meanwhile, the Core Ultra 100 series, using the Meteor Lake architecture, will remain exclusive to laptops and handheld systems, following the cancellation of the desktop processors.
Following on from previous Arrow Leak spec leaks, it looks almost certain now that the Core Ultra 200 series won’t feature hyperthreading, a staple of Intel CPUs for the past 22 years. This increased likelihood is spurred by details uncovered by leaker momomo_us, contained in txt files that detail the number of cores and threads, as well as early clock speeds, for two Arrow Lake chips.
Neither of the CPUs are explicitly named, but their respective core counts of 24 and 20 make them prime Core Ultra 9 and Ultra 7 candidates. More importantly, though, the thread count for each of these chips matches their cores, further cementing the evidence that Intel plans to ditch support for hyperthreading with the Core Ultra 200 series.
Intel already forgoes hyperthreading on its Efficient cores (E-Cores) and Low Power Efficient cores, but this would mark the first instance of Performance cores (P-Cores) getting similar treatment. The impact on gaming performance should be minimal, and we should still see Arrow Lake performance outpace Raptor Lake, but it could leave the Core Ultra 200 series in a multithreaded shortfall relative to its predecessors.
We’ve seen a 24 core Arrow Lake processor pictured in a previous leak, featuring several dies (or tiles as Intel calls them) in place of the monolithic designs previously used on prior generations. As we mentioned earlier, Arrow Lake should serve as a watershed moment for Intel, where the stagnation showcased by the Core i9 14900KS should be left firmly in the past.
However, Intel’s Core Ultra 200 series may have to deal with strong competition, perhaps even before it makes its own debut, as AMD is expected to launch its Ryzen 9000 series CPUs imminently. Whether Arrow Lake or Zen 5 will come out as the superior architecture remains to be seen, but we should all prepare ourselves for a procession of processors before the year is out.
Give our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review a read to acquaint yourself with our favorite gaming CPU right now, which could see its crown snatched by upcoming processors. We also strongly recommend giving our Core i9 14900K review a look. This is the current Intel flagship, particularly if you’re looking for a chip that’s great for both gaming and production work.