Intel's forthcoming flagship CPU, the Core Ultra 9 285K from the Arrow Lake-S family, has topped PassMark's single-threaded performance benchmark with 5,268 points. However, its lack of hyper-threading puts it underperforming in multi-threaded performance, below both AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel's previous-generation Core i9-14900K.
Intel is preparing for strong competition with its soon-to-be introduced Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs, which include the high-end Core Ultra 9 285K. The CPU has been making headlines in benchmark leaks, and its most recent appearance in PassMark indicates impressive single-threaded performance. The 24-core Core Ultra 9 285K broke the 5,000-point barrier in the single-threaded test, scoring 5,268—well ahead of its predecessor, the Core i9-14900K (4,743 points) and Apple's M3 processor (4,777 points). AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X lagged with a score of 4,739.
The Core Ultra 9 285K has 16 'Skymont' efficiency cores and 8 'Lion Cove' performance cores, which have increased its single-threaded performance to unprecedented heights. According to Intel insiders, the Arrow Lake-S CPU family is predicted to improve single-threaded performance by 13 to 15 per cent, which is significantly more than the 11 per cent jump seen in PassMark's current data.
Despite its prowess in single-threaded scores, the Core Ultra 9 285K struggled in multi-threaded tests. Without hyper-threading, the CPU scored 46,872 points on PassMark's multi-threaded test, well behind AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel's previous-generation i9-14900K, which scored 66,702 and 60,305, respectively. The lack of hyper-threading capabilities has hindered the processor's ability to compete in heavy multi-threaded workloads.
While the Core Ultra 9 285K excels at single-threaded workloads, its performance in multi-threaded processes has raised concerns before of its formal release. The device evaluated in the benchmarks is assumed to be an engineering sample, therefore these results may not accurately reflect the final product's capabilities. Intel is notorious for optimising performance until the final release, and the Core Ultra 9 285K may receive additional upgrades before it hits the market.
As Intel rebrands its Core series as the new Ultra lineup, the Core Ultra 9 285K is positioned as the flagship model, bringing significant improvements in single-thread performance. However, for consumers who want powerful multi-threaded capabilities, AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel's last-generation i9-14900K may still have an advantage. Benchmark leaks, as always, offer a peek of potential, but the true test will come when the CPU is actually released and tested in real-world applications.
