It’s rare for a tech giant like Intel to miss the mark, but late in 2024, their new Arrow Lake gaming CPU lineup, specifically the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, genuinely shocked me with its abysmal in-game performance. It wasn’t just a slight lag; in some tests, the 265K was catastrophically behind its rivals. Fast forward to today, after a series of critical BIOS, Management Engine, driver, and game updates, along with the introduction of the innovative 200S Boost mode, I felt it was crucial to re-evaluate the 265K. Could this processor truly be redeemed?
The verdict isn’t a universal “yes” – there are still stronger gaming CPUs available. However, I can now confidently state that the Intel 265K is no longer a complete disappointment. In fact, it now surpasses every other CPU I’ve tested in certain scenarios, including one significant game benchmark. While it still doesn’t dethrone the Ryzen 7 9800X3D as the ultimate gaming processor, its gaming performance is now much more competitive. Furthermore, its capabilities in productivity software are simply superb. So, does it now deserve a spot on our list of best gaming CPUs? Let’s dive into the details.
To ensure fairness and consistency, I re-tested the 265K on the exact same setup used for its initial review. This included an Asus TUF Z890-Plus WiFi motherboard, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB of G.Skill TridentZ 6,000MT/s CL28 RAM, and a WD Black SN850X SSD loaded with the identical Windows installation. The only changes made were updating the motherboard BIOS to the latest version (including the Intel Management Engine), and applying all the latest Windows and driver updates.
Cinebench Performance
Let’s begin with one of its most impressive improvements: Cinebench scores, especially for single-threaded tasks. In my original review, the Core Ultra 7 265K achieved a single-threaded score of only 117. Now, it boasts a score of 136, making it even faster than the Core i9 14900K. Even more astounding, with the new 200S Boost mode activated, it hits 138, surpassing even the formidable AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This represents a truly remarkable turnaround.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: Cinebench R24 Single Core benchmark results]
The Cinebench R24 multi-core results also saw a significant jump, rising from 1,995 in late 2024 to 2,045 today (or 2,056 with 200S Boost enabled). This places it ahead of the previous-generation 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and impressively close to the 24-core Core i9 14900K – an excellent showing for a CPU with eight P-Cores and 12 E-Cores. Remarkably, the processor’s maximum temperature during this demanding test peaked at only 78°C, a surprisingly cool result given its performance.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: Cinebench R24 Multi Core benchmark results]
Total War: Warhammer III Gaming
Next, we examine a major gaming victory: Total War: Warhammer III. The 265K now leads the pack in the Battle benchmark, delivering an average of 220fps with a minimum of 182fps. This performance now outpaces all AMD X3D CPUs and marks a substantial improvement over the 202fps average and 158fps minimum recorded in late 2024.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: Total War: Warhammer 3 benchmark results]
The chip performed slightly less spectacularly in the Mirrors of Madness benchmark within the same game, which features intense on-screen action. However, it still maintained a strong showing, with its 119fps average outperforming the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, even if it couldn’t quite catch the very latest Zen 5 X3D processors. Interestingly, enabling 200S Boost in both these tests resulted in a mere 1fps increase, which is within the margin of error.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: Total War: Warhammer 3 Mirrors of Madness benchmark results]
Cyberpunk 2077 Gaming
Our next test involves Cyberpunk 2077 (with P-Cores prioritized in the game’s settings), a title that absolutely crushed the 265K in 2024. During that initial testing, running the game at 1,920 x 1,080 with the Ultra ray tracing preset, the 265K managed only a 117fps average, significantly trailing the Core i9 14900K (148fps) and the 7800X3D (153fps). Given several game updates over the past year, I re-benchmarked all relevant CPUs to ensure accurate comparisons. The performance gap has now narrowed considerably.
While I wouldn’t call the 265K’s performance in this game outstanding – it still ranks last in the accompanying graph – it’s no longer drastically behind its competitors. Its new average of 124fps puts it on par with the Core i5 14600K, a vast improvement from being 17fps slower. The X3D chips clearly remain superior for gaming in Cyberpunk, but at least the 265K is no longer embarrassingly poor. Once again, activating 200S Boost had no noticeable effect on frame rates at these settings.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark results]
Far Cry 6 Gaming
Similarly, in Far Cry 6, the 265K previously averaged a mere 157fps in our 2024 tests, placing it last by a considerable margin (the next closest, the 14600K, achieved 184fps). As with Cyberpunk, game updates necessitated a full re-benchmark of all other CPUs for current comparison. Now, the 265K trails the 14600K by only 6fps, reaching 164fps, and enabling 200S Boost pushes this figure slightly higher to 166fps. While the 265K still isn’t a top-tier gaming CPU here, its performance is definitely no longer a cause for concern.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: Far Cry 6 benchmark results]
F1 24 Gaming
It’s also important to remember that the test games chosen above are particularly CPU-intensive, which is why they are included in our benchmark suite. Many games, however, are largely unaffected by CPU performance, with the GPU being the dominant factor. F1 24 serves as a prime example. I re-benchmarked all CPUs at Ultra settings with DLSS disabled. While the X3D chips maintain a slight lead, the 265K is only 6fps behind (or 5fps with 200S Boost enabled), demonstrating truly marginal differences.
[Image: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K retest: F1 24 benchmark results]
So, there you have it. The Core Ultra 7 265K is no longer a poor gaming CPU. We are now comfortable recommending it for our best gaming CPU guide as an excellent, thermally-efficient processor for productivity that can now also deliver respectable gaming performance. If gaming remains your absolute highest priority, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is still the superior choice. However, the 265K will no longer severely hinder your gaming experience; while not as fast as AMD’s options, it’s certainly no longer a significant bottleneck. If you can find it at a good price, it’s definitely worth considering.
For those thinking about upgrading their system, be sure to consult our guides on choosing the best gaming motherboard and the best CPU cooler to maximize your chosen processor’s potential.
Have you purchased an Intel Arrow Lake CPU? How has your gaming experience been with it? Share your thoughts with our community.