Intel is BACK. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. - Core Ultra 270K Plus & 250K Plus CPU Review
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Description
One pair for everyday and everywhere. Vessi claim their Weekend Neo is waterproof, lightweight, and built for daily wear and travel. Grab 15% off your first pair here: vessi.com • Free shipping • 30‑day returns • 1‑year warranty Intel's Arrow Lake Refresh is actually refreshing. At $299 and $199, the 270K Plus and 250K Plus both look to be flagship killers, taking the fight to AMD's Ryzen 9000 chips. Zen 5 domination might not be for long.
Check out the Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 250K Plus: prsm2.com
Check out the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 270K Plus: prsm2.com Buy an Intel Core i9-14900K: geni.us Buy an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: geni.us Buy an AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D: geni.us LABS Article: lttlabs.com Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com
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Check out our Channel Partners: Secretlab - Grab a TITAN Evo ergonomic gaming chair: lmg.gg PIA - Get the VPN of our choice: piavpn.com dbrand - Buy a "Circuit" series skin for your device: dbrand.com ► SHOP LTT PRODUCTS: lttstore.com ► GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON FLOATPLANE: lmg.gg ► DIVE DEEPER ON THE LTT LABS WEBSITE: lmg.gg ► SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS: lmg.gg Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. Affiliate links powered in part by affilimate.com Linus Sebastian is an investor in Framework Computer, Inc and HexOS by Eshtek. CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 1080p Results 3:48 What's New 5:08 Productivity 6:23 Power and Thermals 7:40 Intel Binary Optimization Tool 9:15 Pricing and Conclusion
The video opens by positioning Intel's new Arrow Lake Refresh processors, the Ultra 7 270K Plus and Ultra 5 250K Plus, as compelling options in the high-end gaming and productivity space, challenging AMD’s current leaders at aggressive price points. The host argues that these CPUs deliver a large portion of top-tier performance for significantly less money, highlighting prices at $299 for the 270K Plus and $199 for the 250K Plus, and comparing them to AMD’s Ryzen 9 9800X3D and 9950X, as well as Intel’s own prior flagship CPUs. In gaming tests, the 270K Plus shows strong 1% lows and average FPS, while the 250K Plus pushes past the Ryzen competition in several titles, albeit with some caveats in certain games where AMD holds an edge in average frame rates. The review walks through architectural changes, including higher all-core clocks, enhanced uncore frequencies, and better memory support, which underpin the observed performance gains in both gaming and productivity workloads. The commentator also discusses power, thermals, and efficiency, noting the well-managed thermal curve and competitive idle power, even as full-load power increases somewhat compared to non-Plus siblings. The segment on the Intel Binary Optimization Tool (I Bot) explores potential gains in game and app performance, but the test results show only modest uplift, tempering expectations about dramatic improvements. Finally, pricing strategy and market implications are evaluated, suggesting Intel could disrupt the value-to-performance landscape if the rumored $299 and $199 pricing holds in the real market, prompting comparisons with AMD’s pricing and product cadence. The host concludes with an assessment that the Plus CPUs are strong value propositions for enthusiasts who want strong performance in both gaming and productivity without paying a premium, while acknowledging potential confusion around naming and future socket compatibility. The video closes with notes on availability of related content, a sponsor segment, and a nod to future in-depth testing on LTT Labs to further expand the data set for Arrow Lake Refresh.
Topics · technology · hardware · computing · gaming · cpu · processor · reviews
Questions answered
- What is the core value proposition of the Ultra 7 270K Plus and Ultra 5 250K Plus according to the review?
- The Ultra 7 270K Plus and Ultra 5 250K Plus offer near top-tier performance at significantly lower prices, delivering strong gaming and productivity performance that rivals AMD's high-end CPUs while maintaining much more affordable street prices.
- How do the Plus models perform in gaming versus productivity workloads?
- In gaming, the 270K Plus and 250K Plus achieve competitive 1% lows and FPS with the 270K Plus approaching the 9800X3D in some titles while the 250K Plus often outperforms or matches mid-to-high range AMD CPUs. In productivity tasks, the Plus models show strong multi-core gains and scale well in benchmarks like Blender and Cinebench, often surpassing AMD options at a similar price tier.
- What caveats does the reviewer mention about these CPUs?
- The reviewer notes potential naming confusion, questions about future socket longevity, and that the I Bot optimization yields mixed results in real-world tests. They also caution that power consumption in Plus variants rises under load and that the claimed pricing may not reflect real-market availability.