Intel has released detailed specifications for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, detailing several architectural and performance upgrades compared to previous models.
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is reported to be a 24-core processor, featuring 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. This represents an increase of four efficiency cores over the Core Ultra 7 265K. Performance boosts include a 100 MHz increase in the P-cores’ boost clock, reaching up to 5.5 GHz. Furthermore, the L3 cache has been increased from 30 MB to 36 MB. A notable enhancement is the 900 MHz bump in the die-to-die frequency of the fabric connecting the compute and SoC tiles.
For the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, it is designed as an 18-core unit, comprising 6 performance cores and 12 efficiency cores—also an increase of four efficiency cores over the Core Ultra 5 245K. This chip features a new maximum boost frequency of 5.3 GHz for the P-cores, marking a 100 MHz increase from the 245K. Similar to its higher-tier counterpart, the L3 cache increases from 24 MB to 30 MB. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus also benefits from the 900 MHz increase in die-to-die frequency.
Regarding pricing, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is scheduled to launch at $299, a $100 reduction compared to the 265K launch price. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus will launch at $199, which is a significant decrease from the $319 launch price of the 245K.
When considering usage, the performance comparison suggests that for pure gaming, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is sufficient, as gaming benchmarks were largely identical across various resolutions (1080P, 1440P, and 4K) when testing both processors. However, for workloads beyond gaming, such as streaming, photo and video editing, and multi-tasking, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is recommended due to its higher core count, which benefits highly-threaded applications.
The review noted that the upgrades appear significant for Intel, including added cores, faster speeds, increased L3 cache, and improved die-to-die frequency, representing an advancement considered unusual for the company’s typical refreshes.
In addition to the performance boosts, the pricing strategy is noted as very aggressive, with the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus being $100 cheaper than the Ultra 7 265K and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus being $120 cheaper than the Ultra 5 265K. Compelling bundle deals with motherboards and power supplies are also currently available.
Source: ThinkComputers