Intel Core Ultra 7 265K nears Core Ultra 9 285K in new leaked tests

In case you haven't followed the news, Intel is about to announce its Core Ultra Series 2, also known as the Core Ultra 200 Series, codenamed Arrow Lake-S. This is the first desktop generation to use Intel's new naming scheme, so the names of the new SKUs can be confusing at times. The upcoming 265K and 265KF models are not successors to the 14600K(F) series; in fact, they belong to the Core Ultra 7 tier, which is a successor to the Core i7.

The naming has changed, and so has the performance. Previous scores for this SKU, specifically the 265KF variant with integrated Arc graphics disabled, showed a moderate sub-10% improvement over its predecessor, the 14700K. However, the new benchmark places it much higher in the rankings, almost reaching the performance level of the flagship Core Ultra 9 285K segment.

The processor was tested on a mid-range board called the ASUS TUF Gaming Z890 WIFI, equipped with 64GB of DDR5 memory of unknown speed. The CPU features 8 P-Cores and 12 E-Cores (a total of 20 cores), which do not support hyperthreading. Despite the lack of this technology, the CPU is about 15% faster in both single-core and multi-core tests compared to the 14700K.

This new result is clearly better than previous ones. Chances are the CPU is using a non-standard configuration (increased power limit), but it does not appear to be overclocked. It is still sticking to Intel's reference 5400 MHz frequency, possibly with more active cores.

The Intel Core 200K series is now scheduled to launch on October 24th.