Intel released its latest desktop CPUs in October 2024, code-named Arrow Lake-S and officially known as the Intel Core Ultra 200S Series. We’ve reviewed a trio of chips from the line-up – the flagship Core Ultra 9 285K, middle-of-the-pack Core Ultra 7 265K, and more budget-friendly Core Ultra 5 245K. It’s safe to say they haven’t been top sellers in the face of AMD’s rival Ryzen 9000 series, but Arrow Lake may finally be getting a refresh this March.

Benchmarks and retailer listings for several processors have already been spotted online. This includes benchmarks for the new flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, which reveal just under 10% uplift in early tests – though these should always be taken with a grain of salt. Furthermore, there have been reports that this top SKU has been canceled, leaving just two new models.

Arrow Lake Refresh coming in March?

With the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus reportedly out of the picture, that leaves a couple of expected models – the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. References to the 270K Plus were spotted as far back as December last year, while the 250K Plus was one of three CPUs originally expected to feature at CES 2026 – but Intel gave the Arrow Lake Refresh a pass at the event, instead keeping its focus largely on its new Panther Lake mobile chips.

VideoCardz reports, based on internal sources, that the chips are set to be unveiled on March 11. This represents an earlier-than-expected date, with previous information pointing towards later in the month, on the 23rd. A March to April release window has previously been speculated, and this also applies to new ‘HX Plus’ processors (a refresh for Intel’s high-performance Core Ultra 200HX laptop CPUs, code-named Arrow Lake-HX).

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.