ASUS announced BIOS updates for its W880, Z890, Q870, B860, and H810 motherboards, preparing for Intel's unreleased Arrow Lake Refresh desktop chips. The update rollout is slated for late January. Intel skipped a CES 2026 announcement for this refresh, despite rumors. Leaks suggest the CPUs will carry a "Core Ultra 200 Plus" designation, keeping them within the current generation.

This mid-cycle refresh is expected to include three SKUs: the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, Core Ultra 9 270K Plus, and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. The sparse lineup aims to extend the life of Intel's LGA 1851 platform. This strategy contrasts with the previous Raptor Lake refresh, which Intel marketed as a full new generation. The move signals a focus on incremental updates ahead of a major architectural shift.

Intel is predicted to launch these desktop and mobile chips in a March/April window. Concurrently, partners will also release Core Ultra 300 "Panther Lake-H" mobile processors. The true next-gen desktop family, Nova Lake-S, will follow on a new LGA 1954 socket. This staggered release schedule gives system builders and consumers a clear upgrade path while Intel finalizes its next major platform.