It's 2026, CES is over, and there's nonetheless no signal of Intel's Arrow Lake refresh, however one {hardware} channel is adamant it'll be right here within the spring
After a tough few years, Intel has clearly been hoping for higher occasions, and it is truthful to say that the official launch of Panther Lake at CES 2026 was a significant step in the proper path. Nonetheless, whereas all the eye was targeted on the brand new cell chips, the distinct lack of something about an Arrow Lake refresh has solid doubt over whether or not it would really occur or not. One {hardware} channel, although, is claiming that it undoubtedly will.
That is in keeping with Golden Pig Improve on Weibo, as reported by Videocardz, which says that the launch of the Core Extremely 200 Plus vary (the rumoured identify for the Arrow Lake refresh chips) will arrive in both March or April (by way of machine translation).
So if Arrow Lake refresh does seem in March/April, which means it would solely have a couple of months within the limelight earlier than the following technology of processors comes crashing in to spoil the get together. And if every thing we have heard about Nova Lake involves move, then you definately’d be bonkers to purchase a Core Extremely 200 Plus chip.
I feel it might make extra sense to only abandon the entire concept for the desktop market, however keep it up for the laptop computer sector, the place Intel’s Core Extremely 200HX chips carry out very effectively. Tweaked variations of these could be good to see in a gaming laptop computer.
One good purpose to not hassle with a desktop refresh is the truth that the principle improve for the Arrow Lake refresh is meant to supply native assist for a lot quicker DDR5 RAM. You understand, the stuff that is now absurdly costly. Why would you purchase a brand new processor that is solely a smidge quicker than the present Core Extremely 200S household when you’ll be able to’t afford to select up the reminiscence package to go together with it?
In fact, AMD’s Zen 6 and Nova Lake are each going to face that concern once they seem, as a result of there is not any clear signal as to when the DRAM disaster goes to finish. However not less than they will be correctly quicker and extra succesful than the present technology of CPUs, reasonably than being only a teeny bit quicker. Effectively, I hope they’re, not less than.
On the finish of the day, I do not assume it actually issues whether or not or not the Arrow Lake refresh seems or not. Fantastic if it does, equally tremendous if it would not, as a result of both method, it isn’t going to promote anyplace close to in addition to Nova Lake will.
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