The anticipation for Intel’s upcoming gaming CPUs is reaching its peak, as a recent benchmark leak has unveiled some exciting details. This leak introduces a new CPU name and provides a glimpse into its core specifications. The highly anticipated Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is set to deliver a significant increase in core count compared to its predecessor, the Core Ultra 7 265K, featuring an additional four E-Cores.
While these additional E-Cores might not dramatically alter gaming benchmarks, they are expected to significantly enhance the chip’s performance in demanding multi-threaded tasks like video encoding and 3D rendering. Our previous evaluations of the Intel Arrow Lake architecture, including the Core Ultra 7 265K, highlighted its strengths in multi-threaded applications, efficient cooling, and power management. Although recent retests indicate Intel has narrowed the performance gap in gaming, AMD’s X3D processors continue to hold a lead in that specific area.
Unveiling the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus: Leaked Specifications
| Core Ultra 270K Plus | |
| Total Cores | 24 |
| Performance-cores (P-Cores) | 8 |
| Efficiency-cores (E-Cores) | 16 |
| Base Clock | 3.7GHz |
| Max Boost Clock | 5,487MHz (estimated 5.5GHz) |
| L3 Cache | 36MB |
| Architecture | Intel Arrow Lake |
| Socket Type | Intel LGA1851 |
Although the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus isn’t anticipated to become the absolute top choice for gaming CPUs upon release, Intel appears to be strategically leveraging Arrow Lake’s inherent strengths by increasing the core count. This mirrors Intel’s approach with the Core i7 14700K, which, despite sharing its Raptor Lake architecture with the preceding Core i7 13700K, saw its total E-Cores bumped to 20.
A notable distinction with this leaked Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is its identical core configuration to the pricier Core Ultra 9 285K, featuring eight P-Cores and sixteen E-Cores. In contrast, the Core i9 14900K maintained a four E-Core advantage over its Core i7 14700K counterpart. It’s not expected that the updated Core Ultra 9 CPU, potentially named the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, will gain more cores. Instead, it might be set apart by a higher clock speed.
The leaked specifications for the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus also include details about its clock speeds. The CPU is reported to have a 3.7GHz base clock, which is 200MHz lower than the 265K’s base clock, and a maximum boost clock of 5,487MHz.
The benchmark results originated from an “invalid” Lenovo machine, strongly suggesting the use of an engineering sample CPU. Consequently, these listed clock speeds might not reflect the final retail product. However, a 5.5GHz boost clock could be accurate if Intel’s strategy is to distinguish this chip primarily through its core configuration rather than raw clock speed. It’s also important to note that the benchmark itself was an OpenCL test, which primarily taxes the GPU (an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090D) rather than providing a clear measure of CPU performance.
On a positive note, existing Intel Arrow Lake system owners may not need to purchase a new motherboard. The leaked socket type, LGA1851, suggests that a simple BIOS update on your current board could allow compatibility with this new CPU. This is great news for those looking to upgrade without a complete system overhaul.
Will this new Intel offering be enough to challenge AMD’s current lineup, or should enthusiasts hold out for the rumored Nova Lake architecture? The discussion continues!