Intel appears to be preparing a minor refresh of its current desktop processors, as evidenced by a new benchmark listing for a previously unannounced chip. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, part of what is being called the “Arrow Lake Refresh” lineup, has been spotted on Geekbench, showing modest performance gains over the existing Core Ultra 9 285K.
The leak confirms that Intel is moving forward with a familiar strategy of releasing slightly enhanced versions of its CPUs within the same platform, offering a reason for enthusiasts to upgrade without changing their motherboard.
The Benchmark Details: Higher Clocks, Familiar Core Layout
The Geekbench entry shows the processor running on a Gigabyte Z890 motherboard with fast DDR5-8000 memory. The listing confirms the chip retains the same 24-core (8 Performance + 16 Efficiency) configuration as the 285K. The primary upgrade is in clock speed, with a listed maximum frequency of 5.8 GHz, a 100 MHz increase over the 285K’s 5.7 GHz.
In this specific test run, the 290K Plus scored 3,456 points in single-core and 24,610 in multi-core tests. When compared to the average scores for the 285K, this represents an approximate 8% gain in single-threaded and 9% gain in multi-threaded performance. While not a monumental leap, it is a tangible improvement that aligns with a classic “refresh” strategy focused on clock speed bumps and memory support enhancements.
What “Arrow Lake Refresh” Means for Builders
The “Plus” designation and “Refresh” moniker indicate this is not a new architecture but an optimized version of the existing Arrow Lake silicon. Alongside the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has also been leaked. The differentiation between models will likely come down to these higher boost clocks, potentially improved power limits, and official support for faster memory speeds like DDR5-7200.
For someone building a new high-end PC, the 290K Plus will represent the new peak of Intel’s LGA-1851 platform performance. For existing 285K owners, the performance delta is likely too small to justify an upgrade. This move allows Intel to counter AMD’s recent Ryzen X3D announcements with a refreshed product stack of its own, keeping the core battle competitive throughout 2026.
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The CES No-Show and Expected Launch
The curious aspect of this leak is that Intel chose not to announce these chips during its major CES 2026 keynote, which focused solely on the next-generation Panther Lake mobile processors. The timing of an official announcement is now unclear, but with engineering samples already being benchmarked, a launch in the first half of 2026 seems probable.
Source: Geekbench