Intel’s Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has made another appearance on Geekbench, and this time, we’re seeing exactly what the “Plus” brings to the table: a few extra cores, slightly faster clocks, and a small performance bump nothing earth-shattering, but just enough to keep Arrow Lake Refresh in the conversation.
Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus gets 4 more efficiency cores
Based on the new benchmark data, the 270K Plus will ship with a 24-core configuration, split between 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. That’s a direct increase of 4 E-cores compared to the Core Ultra 7 265K, which maxed out at 20 total cores. In addition, early listings point to a 100 MHz boost in both base and turbo frequencies.
On the test bench, Intel paired the chip with 64 GB of DDR5-4800 RAM and a Gigabyte Z890 Eagle motherboard. While this isn’t a high-end enthusiast config, it still paints a clear picture of where this SKU stands.
Anbernic reveals full specs for the RG477V handheld, suggesting a global launch could arrive soon even if shipping starts in 2026.
Core Ultra 7 270K Plus benchmark scores reveal slight advantage
Here’s how the 270K Plus stacks up against its predecessor on Geekbench 6:
- Single-core: 3,235 points (vs. 3,065 on 265K)
- Multi-core: 21,368 points (vs. 20,613 on 265K)
That equates to a 5.5% improvement in single-core and 3.7% in multi-core largely driven by the additional E-cores and minor clock gains.
Arrow Lake Refresh isn’t aiming high and that’s the point
This isn’t a revolutionary jump, and Intel doesn’t seem to be aiming for one. With Nova Lake desktop CPUs unlikely to arrive before late 2026, the Arrow Lake Refresh lineup is simply filling in the gap with modest refinements.
Here’s what the 270K Plus brings to the table:
- 24-core CPU with 8P + 16E core layout
- Small clock speed bump
- Slight uplift in Geekbench 6 scores
- Same socket and board compatibility as current Arrow Lake chips
For builders waiting on major innovation, this isn’t it. But for those needing to upgrade now, it offers a touch more power without jumping to a whole new platform.
Rising DRAM prices make upgrades even harder
With DRAM prices on the rise, building a new PC in 2026 won’t come cheap. Even with a mid-tier CPU like the 270K Plus, pairing it with DDR5 and a Z890 board is shaping up to be a costly endeavor.
It’s Arrow Lake or wait Nova Lake is still far off
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus isn’t about pushing limits, it’s about holding the line. For Intel fans not ready to wait out Nova Lake, it may be the most reasonable (and available) option on the shelf.
More cores, marginal gains, rising costs the 2026 PC landscape is starting to look like a balancing act.
