The high-performance semiconductor landscape is bracing for a critical mid-cycle shift. As we approach early 2026, Intel is set to refine its modular architecture with the ‘Arrow Lake Refresh‘ (ARL-R). This detailed technical breakdown analyzes the upcoming Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, the structurally reconfigured Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, and the mainstream Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. By leveraging mature TSMC N3B yields to unlock higher voltage-frequency curves and enabling aggressive DDR5-7200 CUDIMM memory support, the ‘Plus’ series aims to bridge the gap in multi-core throughput and gaming latency on the LGA 1851 platform.

Note: If you buy something from our links, we might earn a commission. See our disclosure statement.

Intel Core Ultra 290K, 270K & 250K Plus Comparison | Faceofit.com

CPU ARCHITECTURE

Intel Core Ultra “Arrow Lake Refresh” Analysis. The Plus Series Explained.

Updated October 2025 12 min read

Intel is preparing a significant mid-cycle update for early 2026. The “Plus” series (290K, 270K, 250K) targets performance gaps using yield harvesting and faster memory support. This report breaks down the specifications, thermal implications, and market positioning.

Projected Multi-Core Performance

Figure 1. Synthetic performance estimation based on Geekbench 6 projections. Higher is better.

The Semiconductor Interim

High-performance computing moves in cycles of revolution and refinement. The initial Arrow Lake launch shifted Intel from monolithic dies to a modular Foveros design using TSMC N3B nodes. While efficient, the first wave faced challenges in gaming latency and raw throughput compared to established platforms.

Intelligence confirms Intel will release “Arrow Lake Refresh” (ARL-R) in early 2026. This update introduces the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. These processors are not simple clock speed increases. Intel is reconfiguring the silicon stack. They are enabling previously disabled core sections and raising the memory standard to DDR5-7200.

Lion Cove & Skymont: The V/F Curve Shift

The underlying microarchitecture remains unchanged from the 200-series launch. The “Lion Cove” P-Cores and “Skymont” E-Cores persist. The difference lies in the Voltage-Frequency (V/F) curve optimization.

TSMC’s N3B process has matured over 18 months. This maturity allows Intel to bin chips that can sustain higher frequencies at identical voltage levels. The 290K Plus pushes the Lion Cove cores to 5.8 GHz, a frequency previously reserved for the limited “KS” editions. This suggests that the average silicon quality has improved enough to make 5.8 GHz the new standard for the flagship, rather than a limited run anomaly.

Core Ultra 9 290K Plus

The Frequency Apex

The direct successor to the 285K. It retains the 24-core layout but pushes frequencies higher.

Config: 8P + 16E
P-Core TVB: 5.8 GHz
E-Core Turbo: 4.8 GHz
L3 Cache: 36 MB

TOP VALUE

Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

The Disruptor

A major structural change. It moves from 20 cores to 24 cores, matching the flagship core count.

Config: 8P + 16E
P-Core Turbo: 5.5 GHz
L2 Cache: 40 MB (+4MB)
Memory: DDR5-7200

Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

Mainstream Evolution

Increases thread count for the mid-range market. Moves from 14 cores to 18 cores total.

Config: 6P + 12E
Threads: 18
P-Core Turbo: 5.3 GHz
TDP (PL2): 159W

The Core Configuration Hierarchy

Visualizing how the “Plus” models utilize the full silicon die compared to standard SKUs. The diagram below maps the core activation differences.

Figure 2. Core activation map. Red nodes indicate “Plus” series upgrades.

The “Plus” Philosophy: Yield Harvesting

Intel is utilizing higher-grade binning and improved yields from TSMC. The 270K Plus unlocks a disabled 4-core Skymont cluster found on the 265K. This grants the chip access to the full 36MB L3 cache and 40MB L2 cache. This strategy aims to counter AMD’s high-core-count Ryzen parts without designing a new mask set.

Compare Specifications

Filter by Series

Minimum Threads

SKU Name	Cores (P+E)	P-Core Turbo	E-Core Turbo	L3 Cache	TDP (PL1)

Thermal & Power Reality

Thermal Density

The N3B node is dense. Concentrating high-frequency logic in a small compute tile creates significant thermal density (W/mm²). The 290K Plus, pushing 5.8 GHz, will likely saturate standard 360mm AIO coolers. Users should anticipate peak temperatures hitting 95°C+ during AVX workloads instantly.

Power Delivery

While PL1 remains at 125W, the PL2 (short-term turbo) limits are expected to stretch. The 270K Plus, now with 24 cores, will likely see its PL2 moved from 250W closer to the 290K’s 250W+ range to feed the additional E-Core cluster. High-end Z890 VRMs are mandatory for sustained performance.

Technical Deep Dive

Memory Subsystem: The Jump to 7200 MT/s

The entire Plus lineup officially supports DDR5-7200. This is a significant increase from the DDR5-6400 baseline of the original Arrow Lake. The disaggregated architecture separates the compute tile from the memory controller, which introduces latency.

Intel mitigates this latency through brute-force bandwidth. The support for 7200 MT/s aligns with new CUDIMM (Clocked Unbuffered DIMM) standards. These modules integrate a clock driver to stabilize high frequencies. Manual overclocking on Z890 boards may push speeds beyond 8000 MT/s.

AI and Graphics Reality

Conflicting reports regarding the NPU have been clarified. The Plus series retains the NPU 3 architecture (approx. 13 TOPS). It will not meet the 40 TOPS requirement for Microsoft Copilot+ certification. The integrated graphics remain based on the Xe-LPG architecture with 4 Xe cores. This configuration handles media encoding and display output but is not intended for heavy gaming.

Platform Longevity: LGA 1851

The Arrow Lake Refresh represents the “tock” in Intel’s classic strategy, optimizing an existing node. For upgraders, the LGA 1851 socket is confirmed to support this refresh. However, discussions regarding support for the subsequent “Nova Lake” architecture remain speculative.

Z890 vs B860: The Plus series’ unlocked multipliers (K-series) naturally pair with Z890. However, B860 boards will support memory overclocking, which is crucial for the new 7200 MT/s specification. Users aiming for value with the 250K Plus might find B860 to be a sufficient platform if CPU overclocking is not a priority.

Competitive Landscape

Vs. Ryzen 9000

The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (24-core) is a direct threat to the Ryzen 9 9900X. With physical core superiority, the Intel part excels in tile-based rendering and multitasking. It trades blows with the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X in productivity while often undercutting it on price.

Vs. Ryzen 9000X3D

Gaming remains a challenge. The Arrow Lake Refresh lacks a direct answer to AMD’s 3D V-Cache. The 290K Plus will likely trail the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in cache-sensitive titles. Intel’s strategy focuses on being a better “all-rounder” with superior productivity performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the 270K Plus work on existing Z890 motherboards?

Yes. The 270K Plus uses the LGA 1851 socket and is fully compatible with 800-series chipsets (Z890, B860). A BIOS update may be required.

Is the NPU upgraded in the Plus series?

No. The Plus series retains the NPU 3 unit with ~13 TOPS. It does not feature the NPU 4 found in Lunar Lake mobile chips.

What is the release date?

Current supply chain intelligence points to a release in early 2026.

Does the 250K Plus support Hyper-Threading?

No. Like the original Arrow Lake, the Refresh series does not utilize Hyper-Threading on P-Cores. The thread count equals the physical core count.

Affiliate Disclosure: Faceofit.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.