It has been just over a week since Intel launched its new Core Ultra 200S series processors. These new CPUs, led by the flagship Ultra 9 285K, are part of the previously codenamed Arrow Lake-S range. While they have been launched, the new chips have yet to hit shelves – that won’t come until October 24th.

However, samples are already being sent out to reviewers and one person online has shown off one of the new CPUs delidded – at least that’s what it looks like. Delidding is the process of removing the metal integrated heat spreader (IHS); as the name would suggest, essentially taking off its protective lid. Enthusiasts carry out this practice to reduce CPU temperatures, especially for overclocking.

Arrow Lake CPU delidded

In a post on X by @Madness727, we can see what appear to be the first pictures of a delidded Intel Core Ultra 200S processor. They haven’t specified which model it is exactly, but multiple Arrow Lake-S CPUs coming out this month are based on the same tile configuration (8 Performance + 16 Efficient cores / 4 Xe cores).

As you may know, the process of delidding isn’t the safest – not something we’d recommend for a brand-new CPU, never mind an unreleased one. In fact, back when AMD launched Zen 5, one Ryzen 9000 series CPU delidding ended in disaster.

Regardless, with the new Intel CPUs soon on the way, we’re eager to see what extreme overclockers can do with them. Recent 285K CPU-Z benchmarks suggest excellent multi-core performance, as these new chips don’t seem to be too gaming-focused. From what we’ve seen so far, the new flagship may have the competition beat in everything except gaming.

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.