Intel’s latest “0x114” microcode update hasn’t managed to fix the performance troubles plaguing the Arrow Lake processors, with recent benchmarks highlighting further decline.
Intel’s Arrow Lake Desktop CPUs are still facing significant setbacks in the consumer market. The “Raptor Lake Refresh” series was already struggling with thermal issues, and now Arrow Lake-S processors are experiencing another setback. For those who may not be in the loop, Intel has been battling a significant performance gap in ARL-S processors observed in consumer systems compared to their internal tests. They rolled out the “0x114” microcode update recently, which aimed to address core issues identified in their latest “Field Update.” However, the problems persist.
According to @CapFrameX on Twitter, Intel’s “0x114” microcode didn’t fix Arrow Lake-S issues. New tests show a noticeable drop in gaming performance. For instance, on Cyberpunk 2077, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K experienced an 18% average FPS drop, a serious decline when considering the previously reported performance issues. While Intel promised a “double-digit” performance boost with the new BIOS update, initial tests suggest otherwise.
Additionally, memory latency saw about a 14% increase, adding to the disappointment. It’s crucial to remember this testing is among the more “reliable” evaluations of the new 0x114 microcode. To confirm that the new ARL-S BIOS update is indeed problematic, more evidence is needed. Yet, the current findings indicate that Intel may need to rethink its strategy in the desktop CPU division.
Intel plans a media briefing during CES 2025 to address the Core Ultra 200S performance issues, which will likely be the next major update on the future of Intel’s Arrow Lake-S series. For now, ARL-S consumers have to await an official response from Intel to determine if these new benchmarks reflect a consistent performance decline across all systems with the “0x114” microcode.
