There's yet another Intel Arrow Lake rumor out to digest, so if you're in the market for a new gaming CPU, it might be worth waiting a few weeks. According to leakers, Intel is finally planning to release its next-gen CPU lineup at the end of this month, along with its new Z890 motherboards.
These brand-new Intel Core Ultra 200-series CPUs represent Intel's next, best chance to launch the best gaming CPU and push AMD from its pedestal for the first time in years. AMD has had the advantage so far, with even flagship Intel CPUs such as the Core i9 14900K failing to beat the performance gains that AMD's 3D V-cache technology offers.
This is a two-part rumor, with Videocardz reporting first from "multiple sources" the timescale up until the release. If the details are true, then Intel is planning a non-public press briefing for the media in just over a week's time on Thursday, October 7. There will then be a public announcement the following Monday on October 10, while the new CPUs will go on sale two weeks later on October 24.
This also matches up with earlier industry leaks that came from China last month, which suggested that the Intel Arrow Leak CPU launch date was delayed to October 24. There's also another, separate leak reported in a post by X/Twitter hardware leaker wnxod, who suggests that Intel's Z890 motherboards are going to follow the same schedule, with an announcement coming on October 10.
The double launch makes sense, as you'll need to pick up a Z890 motherboard to switch to a new Arrow Lake CPU, due to the new socket design. The LGA1851 socket that Intel is using for its Intel Core Ultra 200-series desktop CPUs makes it incompatible with Intel's 13th and 14th-gen chips and the LGA1700 socket they used. These boards are leaving the past behind, dropping DDR4 RAM and PCIe 3.0 support entirely.
There are even more leaks to contend with when it comes to pricing. It looks like Intel Arrow Lake prices will be similar to the current 14th-gen lineup, although top-end Z890 motherboard prices could be as costly as a whole gaming PC, at least at the high end. All of this is subject to speculation, but if the October 10 date holds up, we'll know for sure in just over a week's time.
We've also seen some Intel Arrow Lake benchmark leaks pop up in recent weeks for the Core Ultra 9 285K and the Core Ultra 7 265K on an MSI Z890 motherboard, showing small increases in performance compared to a Core i9 14900K. Whenever the launch date arrives, Intel badly needs to make a success of this launch.
It hasn't had the best year, with the Vmin Shift Instability fault on 13th and 14th-gen Intel Core CPUs causing irreparable damage, with the final Intel CPU fix only launching in the last week. Thankfully, Intel has made clear that that issue won't be a problem for Arrow Lake CPUs, which we're also expecting to see run with Z890 default power settings on motherboards, set to Intel's specifications.
If you're planning a new rig around a new Intel Core Ultra-200 series CPU, check out our Intel Arrow Lake guide for the full rundown on what to expect. You can also take a look through our guide on how to build a gaming PC, which runs you through the steps you need to take as you build, from installing the CPU to setting up Windows.