Home > News

Intel Core Ultra 200S review summary confirms why it’s a good idea to stick with previous-gen CPUs

The upgrade to the Core Ultra 200S processor doesn't make sense right now.
Last Updated on October 30, 2024
Arrow Lake performance summary
PC Guide is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More
You can trust PC Guide: Our team of experts use a combination of independent consumer research, in-depth testing where appropriate - which will be flagged as such, and market analysis when recommending products, software and services. Find out how we test here.

Intel had the perfect opportunity to capitalize on the Ryzen 9000 series’s subpar launch, but it seems like the Core Ultra 200S processors also failed to capture the consumer as Intel was hoping they would. 

The processors launched with a high-end Z890 motherboard, which made the shift to the LGA 1851 platform very expensive despite the processor you’re getting. The generational gaming uplift doesn’t warrant such a pricey upgrade. So, if you’ve got a previous-generation processor like the 13900K, it would be better to stick to that than upgrade to the Core Ultra 9 285K


Today's best pre Black Friday deal!

If you're in the market for a new gaming PC this November, then this high-end ZOTAC Gaming MEK Hero PC might be exactly what youre looking for - equipped with AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X and an RTX 4080 Super.

Prices correct as of November 13th, 2024.


That said, it seems like the community has reached a consensus about the Arrow Lake processor’s performance, as highlighted by 3DCenter. 

What’s happening with the Arrow Lake processors? 

According to a post from 3DCenter.org (@3DCenter_org), they compiled the performance summary of 20 launch reviews and compared the varying results to reach a conclusion. The conclusion was that, on average, the Core Ultra 200S processors have a 5% improvement in applications while the gaming performance is 6% less than the predecessors and the competition. 

What makes matters worse is the price of upgrading to the Arrow Lake series. These processors aren’t compatible with DDR4 RAM, have launched with high-end motherboards, and cost more than their predecessors. 

To put that into perspective, according to Camelcamelcamel, the 14900K and a Z790 board cost around $439.95 and $219.99, respectively, which adds to around $659.94. Now, the 285K has an MSRP of $589, and a Z890 board can cost anywhere from $299.99 to $999.99, meaning the total cost to upgrade from the 14th to 15th gen could be between $888.99 and 1588.99, a price difference of anywhere between $229 and $929.05, respectively. 

That said, for such a big amount, you’ll be getting only 3 FPS extra in Cyberpunk 2077, as we saw during our Core Ultra 9 285K review. While the multi-core performance was better, it wasn’t leagues above the 14900K or the 9950X, and the 9950X had better single-core performance. 

The Ryzen 9 9950X costs more, according to Camelcamelcamel, as it has a price of $622.98, and if you pair it with an X670E board like the MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk WiFi, which costs around $232.90, you’ll get better gaming and similar synthetic performance as the 285K in around $855.88, meaning it has far better value than moving to the LGA 1851 platform, at least for now.

Ussamah works as a content writer and editor at BGFG. He is experienced in tech, hardware, gaming, and marketing.