Intel launches new PC processors to strengthen its position: Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Intel has strengthened its desktop lineup with the launch of two new processors, focusing on balanced performance and competitive pricing rather than introducing an entirely new flagship chip. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, part of the Arrow Lake Refresh family, bring improvements such as additional efficiency cores, faster memory support, and new software optimization features to enhance gaming and productivity performance. Both processors are scheduled to become available on March 26, as Intel continues refining its desktop strategy.
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus features 24 cores and 24 threads within a 125W TDP, using a hybrid configuration of eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores, similar to the Core Ultra 9 285K. The performance cores can boost up to 5.5GHz, while base clocks increase to 4.1GHz, and the efficiency cores start at 3.4GHz, slightly higher than earlier models.
Intel has also improved communication between the processor and system memory through a faster CPU-to-memory controller link running 900MHz higher, helping improve data flow. These changes position the chip ahead of the 20-core Core Ultra 7 265K in multithreaded tasks, while Intel is also targeting performance comparable to the more power-hungry Core i9-14900K.
Further down the lineup, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is priced at $200 and includes 18 cores, consisting of six performance cores with a 4.4GHz base clock and 12 efficiency cores running at 3.7GHz. It also includes 30 MB of Smart Cache, which is 6 MB more than the previous 245K model. Intel says this configuration can deliver strong multithreaded performance compared with similarly priced competitors such as the Ryzen 5 9600X, largely due to the additional efficiency cores designed to handle parallel workloads.
Both processors maintain a 125W base power rating, reflecting Intel’s effort to deliver strong performance without significantly increasing power consumption. A KF variant of the 250K will also be offered, removing integrated graphics for users who plan to rely on a dedicated GPU.
