While Intel's mobile division is busy with the future Panther Lake architecture, the desktop landscape has been relatively quiet. With the next-generation Nova Lake not expected until 2026, the spotlight is turning to a refreshed version of the current Arrow Lake processors for a 2025 performance boost. The first signs of this refresh have now emerged, with a chip identified as the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus making a surprise appearance in the Geekbench database.
The listing gives us our first concrete look at what to expect from Intel's upcoming desktop lineup, confirming the new naming scheme and offering a glimpse at its performance potential.
Geekbench Debut: Specs and Scores
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus was tested on the Geekbench 6.5 benchmark. According to the public results, the chip scored 3,205 points in the single-core test and 22,206 points in the multi-core test.
You can view the full benchmark submission for yourself right here: Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus Geekbench Result.
The listing also confirms the core configuration for this particular SKU. The processor features 24 cores arranged in an 8 Performance-core (P-core) and 16 Efficient-core (E-core) design, with 24 threads. It reportedly reached a maximum boost clock of 5.4 GHz. The test system was an unspecified Lenovo desktop equipped with a hefty 48 GB of DDR5-7182 (effectively DDR5-7200) memory and Windows 11.
Interestingly, the benchmark was run alongside what is listed as a GeForce RTX 5090 D GPU, a variant rumored to be exclusive to the Chinese market, adding another layer of next-gen hardware intrigue to the leak. The discovery was first highlighted by the reliable leak aggregator @BenchLeaks on X (formerly Twitter).
Performance Analysis: A Measured Step Forward
So, how does this "Plus" refresh compare to its direct predecessor, the Core Ultra 7 265K? The performance uplift appears to be incremental, as one might expect from a refreshed architecture rather than a completely new one.
- Single-Core: The 270K Plus's score of 3,205 is approximately 3% faster than the 265K's average single-core score of around 3,085.
- Multi-Core: The performance gap widens slightly here, with the 270K Plus's 22,206 score representing a 7% increase over the 265K's average multi-core score of 20,581.
These figures suggest that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is not poised to be a revolutionary upgrade over the existing Arrow Lake chips. However, it's crucial to note that this is a very early engineering sample running on pre-release hardware and drivers. It's common for final retail silicon to deliver slightly better performance after optimizations.
The Bigger Picture: What This Leak Confirms
While the performance jump may seem modest, this Geekbench listing is significant for one major reason: it solidifies Intel's naming strategy for the upcoming refresh. The "Core Ultra 7 270K Plus" moniker clearly positions it as an enhanced version of the 265K, setting a clear precedent for the rest of the refreshed Arrow Lake-S desktop family.
Ultimately, it's far too early to draw definitive conclusions about the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus's overall performance or power efficiency without additional data from a wider range of benchmarks and real-world testing. But for enthusiasts and industry watchers, this leak serves as the first tangible evidence of Intel's 2025 desktop CPU plans, confirming that a refined, if not revolutionary, Arrow Lake update is on the horizon.
What are your thoughts on this incremental refresh strategy from Intel? Does a 3-7% performance bump justify an upgrade for you? Let us know in the comments below.
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