An Arrow Lake refresh may still be on the cards with only K and KF models, claims leaker

• Despite initial setbacks and the cancellation of an earlier iteration, a reliable source, Jaykihn, claims Intel has resumed development of an Arrow Lake CPU refresh, focusing solely on high-end K and KF unlocked models under the purported 'Core Ultra 300 series'.

• This refresh aims to address the performance shortcomings of the original Arrow Lake, which underperformed against its predecessor, Raptor Lake, and AMD's Ryzen X3D processors, primarily due to latency issues related to the off-die IMC and slow ring-bus frequencies; the revised design will likely prioritize resolving these latency problems.

• The limited release of only K/KF variants, with a 125W base TDP and a maximum of 295W (PL2), is intended to mitigate the risk of the LGA 1851 platform becoming short-lived and will possibly include optional performance enhancements via BIOS presets similar to Intel's in-development IPO settings, though specific details remain undisclosed.

Intel's Arrow Lake CPU refresh has been the subject of considerable speculation among industry analysts for several months, with reports varying significantly. A reliable source, Jaykihn, indicates that development of an Arrow Lake refresh has resumed following the abandonment of an earlier iteration. This purported Core Ultra 300 series will reportedly consist solely of unlocked (K/KF) variants, commanding a premium compared to their non-K counterparts. Details regarding core architecture and launch timing remain undisclosed.

Initial expectations positioned Arrow Lake as a crucial product for Intel, promising superior performance and efficiency. However, it underperformed against its predecessor, Raptor Lake, and faced challenges from AMD's Ryzen X3D processors in gaming benchmarks. These shortcomings were largely attributed to latency issues stemming from the off-die IMC and slow ring-bus frequencies.

Arrow Lake also experienced several fundamental issues, prompting Intel to release a December patch followed by a January update incorporating further enhancements via microcode and BIOS firmware. Despite these efforts, Arrow Lake continues to lag behind AMD's offerings and Intel's own Raptor Lake.

Jaykihn reports that Intel initially planned and subsequently canceled an Arrow Lake refresh, only to revive the project with a revised design. Early leaks suggested a 40-core (8P+32E) variant or one with an upgraded NPU on the SoC Tile. Given the project's early stage, specific architectural changes remain uncertain, though addressing the aforementioned latency issues is likely a primary goal.

Consistent with Intel's updated naming convention, the Core Ultra 300 series will reportedly only include unlocked variants, typically featuring a 125W base TDP and a maximum of 295W (PL2) for Arrow Lake. Adding another generation, albeit limited to higher-priced K/KF variants, would mitigate the risk of LGA 1851 becoming Intel's shortest-lived platform.

The leaker suggests Intel will offer optional performance enhancements to existing Arrow Lake chips. Clarification indicates this refers to specific BIOS presets for performance gains without voiding warranties. While details are limited, these presets are reportedly analogous to Intel's in-development IPO (Intel Performance Optimization) settings, designed to provide improved performance with guaranteed stability for system integrators and OEMs.

No information regarding release date, specifications, or pricing has been provided.

Anticipating the launch of Nova Lake in 2026, we expect an official announcement from Intel in the near future regarding this product refresh.