Recent Geekbench data has surfaced regarding Intel’s unannounced “Arrow Lake Refresh” processors, which appear to be branded as the “Plus” series. Although these chips were not mentioned during Intel’s CES 2026 keynote, new leaks indicate that both desktop (LGA-1851) and mobile (HX) refreshes are anticipated soon.
The desktop flagship, identified as the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, was observed on a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice motherboard, utilizing 48 GB of DDR5-8000 memory. Benchmarks (via Benchleaks) suggest a notable performance improvement compared to the current 285K. This uplift is attributed to increased clock speeds rather than architectural modifications or a higher core count. The processor retains a 24-core (8P + 16E) configuration and reportedly reaches a maximum boost frequency of 5.8 GHz. In single-core testing, it achieved 3,456 points, approximately 8% faster than the 285K. Its multi-core score of 24,610 points represents a 9% increase over its predecessor.
The refresh series also includes offerings for high-performance laptops and small-form-factor systems. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus was identified in an Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (model PHN18-I71), as reported by Benchleaks. Unlike its desktop counterpart, this mobile processor did not appear to be operating at its full potential, with a recorded maximum clock speed of approximately 841 MHz. This speed is significantly lower than the expected 5.x GHz for such a CPU, resulting in exceptionally low scores that are not suitable for comparison with other processors.
Despite the absence of an official announcement at CES 2026, these chips are still anticipated to be revealed relatively soon. Initial sightings of an Arrow Lake refresh CPU date back to October 2025, with subsequent mentions appearing periodically. This suggests that an official launch is likely imminent.
