Intel's slowest Arrow Lake-S desktop CPU might be near its official launch as it was recently listed by a French retailer.
Core Ultra 3 205 Spotted on PC21, Boasting 3.8 GHz of Base Clock, 15 MB of Cache; Lists for 155 Euros Including VAT
The Ultra 3 series has been missing since the launch of Arrow Lake CPUs, but it has been in the news previously. Intel didn't announce the Ultra 3 series officially yet, but it appears that one of the slowest and cheapest Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs might arrive soon. As spotted by @momomo_us, the Core Ultra 3 205 was listed on a French retailer called PC21. The retail page not only confirms the existence of the CPU but also reveals some of its specifications.
The listing reveals the base clock as 3.8 GHz, which is likely its Performance-core base clock. The Core Ultra 3 205 will feature 15 MB of L3 cache, which is 5 MB lower than the Core Ultra 5 225 but 3 MB higher than its predecessor from the Raptor Lake Refresh, i.e,. the Core i3 14100. Since Intel dropped hyperthreading for the Arrow Lake CPUs, we aren't going to see the usual 4-core/8-thread configuration but a 4+4 core configuration, featuring 4x Performance and 4-Efficient cores. This is going to be the lowest of all the Arrow Lake processors and therefore will be targeted at entry-level mainstream consumer desktops.
Not much has been revealed from the listing, but we can see that the processor has been listed for 129 Euros (without VAT) on the website and for 155 Euros including VAT. Excluding VAT, the processor costs around $149 in USD, which is a slightly higher price tag compared to the Core i3 14100. Keep in mind that it could be a placeholder, and the actual MSRP may be lower. However, going by the launches of more powerful Arrow Lake-S CPUs, we believe that it's going to stick between $130-$140 at the minimum.
This price tag can be brutal for Intel since AMD already offers some 6-core/12-thread processors from the Ryzen 5000 family for much lower, and even though it's likely that the Core Ultra 3 205 will outperform them, we don't expect the performance gap to be significant. Nonetheless, we still need more competition at the lower end of the CPU market, but pricing will be extremely crucial.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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