Key findings
- Intel is struggling with credibility due to microcode vulnerabilities in Raptor Lake CPUs that affect stability and cause crashes.
- AMD is benefiting from Intel's struggles with efficient Zen 5 adoption, but Arrow Lake's gaming performance could lead to a comeback.
- The Arrow Lake CPUs are scheduled to launch in mid-October, with a focus on power efficiency and the potential for significant performance gains in gaming benchmarks.
To say that this year has been rough for Intel is quite an understatement. During the never-ending battle for the best CPUs, Intel has lost a lot of credibility due to microcode vulnerabilities. In case you're not familiar with the situation, Raptor Lake CPUs have an increased operating voltage, which means that these CPUs can reach dangerously high voltage levels that cause instability and crashes.
This is good for AMD CPUs, but not for the industry as a whole. Competition breeds innovation and high-quality products, otherwise it ends in stagnation. Team Blue desperately needs to redeem itself with the upcoming launch of the 15th Gen Arrow Lake CPUs. The excitement is definitely building, but if you've been following all the leaks, rumors, and the launch of AMD's Zen 5, a comeback is still possible.
4 AMD gave away some performance with the Ryzen 9000 series
Not everyone is happy with the launch of Zen 5
When testing the Ryzen 9 9900X and 9950X, we found that the new Zen 5 CPUs have fantastic efficiency and great single and multi-core performance. Unfortunately, the gaming performance of both CPUs isn't particularly impressive. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D still offers the best value in this regard, as it manages to beat or match the performance of the new Zen 5 chips in various games. If you own a Ryzen 7000 series CPU and are only interested in gaming performance, these new chips from AMD aren't a very compelling upgrade.
However, AMD has stated that Windows version 24H2 (Insider Preview) will offer better performance because it is better optimized for Zen 5's broader branch prediction. However, to get that performance boost, you'll need to switch to the Windows Insider program. Even then, Zen 5's performance boost with this update is about 10% over the previous generation. That's decent, but Intel may be able to match or exceed those performance gains thanks to the expected single-core improvements with Arrow Lake.
3 Major single and multi-core improvements
Expect great performance across the board
Intel can capitalize on AMD's performance issues if they focus on Arrow Lake's gaming capabilities. After all, the latest and greatest 15th Gen CPUs will use Intel's new 20A (2nm) process node to deliver better performance and efficiency. According to a Geekbench 6 leak, the Core Ultra 9 285K is ahead of the 14900KS and Ryzen 9 9950X in both single and multi-core performance. According to another report on the Core Ultra 5 245K, these performance gains appear to be consistent across all Arrow Lake CPUs.
These are all leaks and rumors, but they come from credible sources. Geekbench scores don't directly correlate with gaming performance, but Arrow Lake's strong single-core performance suggests potential for a significant performance boost in gaming benchmarks as well. If these expectations come to fruition, we may be in for a very impressive launch from a performance perspective.
2 Arrow Lake will use less electricity
An important piece of the puzzle
Intel has had problems with efficiency and power consumption for some time, as our review of the 14900K shows. The 14900K easily reaches 256W (or more, as some have tested) and reaches 100 degrees Celsius just as easily. Needless to say, it's a highly inefficient chip that's notoriously difficult to cool properly. That's why pure raw power won't be enough – Arrow Lake Needs to be energy efficient.
With Intel moving to an entirely new, more efficient manufacturing process, the company is well positioned to address these efficiency issues. According to a report from Videocardz.com, the new CPUs will consume at least 100W less power at these incredibly high frequencies.
In addition, the new process node uses RibbonFET (a new transistor architecture) and PowerVia (a rear power system), both of which help improve performance and energy efficiency. It's going to be an uphill battle given how efficient Zen 5 is, but energy efficiency is definitely the focus for Intel this time around.
1 Intel has no other choice
A defining moment in Intel’s history
Photo credit: Intel
While the furore surrounding Raptor Lake's stability issue has garnered a lot of attention in recent months, the problem has been around for much longer. The way Intel downplayed the severity of these issues and even denied plans for a recall led to a massive loss of confidence in the company. As a result, the stock price took a significant hit, and to keep things afloat during this financial strain, the company made the drastic decision to lay off 15,000 employees.
So it all looks very bleak, but that's precisely why there is some hope. There's no way one of the biggest names in the PC industry can get sidelined like this. Intel undoubtedly has the resources and expertise to address the issues and get back on its feet. The blue team is making the right decisions with the launch of Arrow Lake by focusing on power efficiency, so there's an opportunity to turn the tide.
Only time will tell
Arrow Lake is rumored to launch in mid-October, and that's when we'll know if Intel can pull off this massive comeback. One thing is for sure: the success or failure of Arrow Lake will significantly impact the company's future trajectory. As someone who has enjoyed competition in the CPU space over the past few years, I hope Intel comes back stronger than before.