Intel’s Core Ultra 9 290K Plus Abandoned Due to Minimal Performance Gains

Intel's planned flagship CPU, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, has been scrapped, primarily because its performance was too close to the already available Core Ultra 7 270K Plus. Recent benchmarks indicate that although the 290K Plus features impressive specifications, it fails to offer enough of an advantage to justify its expected price tag, prompting Intel to cancel its release.

Performance Benchmarks

The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus was intended to be a key player in Intel's Core Ultra 200S Plus "Arrow Lake Refresh" family. It was designed with 24 cores and 24 threads, with clock speeds projected to reach 3.7 GHz at base and peak at 5.8 GHz. Additionally, this flagship chip included a considerable cache of 36 MB L3 and 40 MB L2.

However, benchmarks from the Bilibili outlet 51972 revealed that the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus only outperformed the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus by a small margin. In multi-threading tests, the 290K Plus reached 5.5 GHz for P-Core and 4.8 GHz for E-Core, exceeding the 270K Plus by roughly 2-3%. In rendering tasks, it achieved a 4% lead over the 270K Plus, but this was not a substantial improvement.

Comparison with AMD

When compared to AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, the performance results were mixed. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus showed some benchmarks where it was slightly faster, but in other tests, it lagged behind. In gaming scenarios, the 290K Plus provided up to an 8% improvement over the 270K Plus, yet the average gain was only 2-3%. In contrast, AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 consistently outperformed the Intel chips, especially at 1080p resolutions, indicating a solid advantage in gaming performance.

Cost Considerations

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A significant factor in the cancellation of the 290K Plus was its expected price range of $399 to $499. In comparison, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is currently priced around $280, with an MSRP of $299. Since the 270K Plus can be overclocked to match or even surpass the performance of the 290K Plus, Intel's flagship chip became a less appealing option given its anticipated pricing.

Conclusion

Intel’s decision to cancel the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus reflects a shift in strategy, as the company seeks to prioritize products that provide clear performance value at competitive prices. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus continues to be a strong choice for consumers looking for powerful performance without the high price tag associated with flagship models. This move signals Intel's cautious approach to market demands, particularly in an environment where consumers are increasingly price-sensitive.

In short, while the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus was a technically impressive CPU, its minimal performance advantages over a more affordable option ultimately led to its cancellation before it could reach retail shelves.