Intel's upcoming Core Ultra Series 2 Arrow Lake Refresh desktop processors are confirmed to deliver E-core count and L3 cache improvements at existing price points, according to recent benchmark leaks. The lineup was originally rumored to include three SKUs: the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, and Core Ultra 9 290K Plus. However, Intel has reportedly cancelled the flagship 290K Plus model.

The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus receives significant upgrades from its predecessor, the 245K. Intel has reconfigured this chip with a 6P+12E core setup, up from 6P+8E, and expanded the L3 cache to 30 MB from 24 MB. The chip also sees a modest frequency bump, with P-cores now boosting to 5.30 GHz, a 100 MHz increase. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus essentially represents a downclocked Core Ultra 9 285K, utilizing the same Arrow Lake-S silicon with all 8 P-cores, 16 E-cores, and 36 MB L3 cache enabled, but capped at 5.50 GHz P-core boost versus the 285K's 5.70 GHz.

These refreshes appear designed to compete more effectively against AMD's offerings while maintaining Intel's pricing structure. The 270K Plus could launch at an attractive price point below the 285K, though it may lack the Thermal Velocity Boost feature found in the higher-end model. These incremental improvements suggest Intel is focusing on efficiency gains rather than dramatic performance leaps in this refresh cycle.