The reasons for skipping the flagship Arrow Lake Refresh CPU are unclear, but it does look incredibly impressive.
Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus Scores 3747 Points in Single-Core and 26117 Points in Multi-Core Geekbench Tests, Bringing a Strong Uplift Over Ultra 9 285K
Intel just launched its Arrow Lake Refresh lineup, but as you might know, the launch skipped the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, which was supposedly the new flagship chip in the series. Intel unveiled the Core Ultra 7 and 5 series SKUs, bringing significant improvements in their specifications, delivering promising results. Unfortunately, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus wasn't a part of the official launch, and according to some reports, it has been cancelled. The sample did appear here and there previously, showing a decent boost over the current flagship chip, i.e,. The Core Ultra 9 285K.
We previously saw the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus being benchmarked in Geekbench, delivering 10-11% higher scores than the Core Ultra 9 285K. However, the newest entry shows a much superior score, increasing the performance gap between the two chips even further. As spotted by @9550pro, the Ultra 9 290K Plus scored a whopping 3,747 points and a good 26,117 points in single and multi-core tests, respectively. When compared with the Core Ultra 9 285K entries, the performance difference shows how dominant the 290K Plus is.
Geekbench Comparison
Even though Geekbench scores aren't the best way to compare two CPUs, the 290K Plus has shown some consistent improvements in the last three benchmarks. Right now, it sits nearly 17% higher in both single-core and multi-core tests vs the Core Ultra 9 285K. Depending on which benchmark entry you choose, the performance gap can be smaller or bigger, but overall, a strong performance boost is expected from the unreleased chip.
Geekbench's multi-core test does not scale efficiently beyond 16 cores, but the single-core test clearly shows that the 290K Plus is undefeated when compared to the flagship AMD and Intel chips. Hopefully, Intel brings it to the mainstream market in the near future, but as of now, Intel doesn't seem to have any plans for its release. That said, if you are more concerned about the gaming performance, then the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus looks undefeated in the Arrow Lake/Refresh lineup for its price tag of $199. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is more of a productivity beast that be perfect for professionals.
News Source: Geekbench
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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