Intel Arrow Lake-S: Microcode 114 for Core Ultra 200 available from ASRock & Asus 182 comments
Since its launch in October, the Intel Core Ultra 200S aka Arrow Lake-S (test) has already received two microcode updates: from version 110 it went first to version 112, then to 113. They did not provide any performance increase. Version 114 is fast approaching and once again the question is: does the update bring more gaming performance?
More performance was promised
The fact that Intel will try to use microcode to achieve more gaming performance with Core Ultra processors, which are not slow, but slower than their own predecessors in games, was announced shortly after the launch by Robert Hallock, head of Intel technology. marketing, explains. However, Hallocks’ statements are viewed critically, as his employment at AMD was repeatedly characterized by more promises than were ultimately delivered.
Intel’s PR has remained tight-lipped so far
Intel’s press service has not yet publicly commented on this topic. Neither following Hallock’s interview statement, nor in the weeks that followed.
After Hallock’s comments, many people’s expectations were undoubtedly high. One reason: AMD was recently able to reduce the latencies of dual-chiplet Ryzen 9000 series processors with a microcode update and, at the same time, significantly increase the gaming performance of multiple generations of Ryzen thanks to a Windows patch . It remains to be seen whether Intel will be able to do the same with Arrow Lake-S.
Updated December 17, 2024 at 8:18 a.m.
ASRock released BIOS updates for microcode version 114 for all Z890 motherboards last night. Asus also made early BIOS beta variants with MCU 114 available for download overnight.
Initial tests with the MCU 114 showed no performance differences with ASRock motherboards. Tying increased performance to the MCU alone usually doesn’t work anyway. Asus recently told Techtip that many issues have already been fixed with the MCU 113, so this appears to be increasingly becoming a persistent problem at Intel.
Topics: Intel Gaming Intel Arrow Lake Intel Arrow Lake Launches Intel Core Ultra Processors
Marc deciphers processors by testing their performance for gaming, content creation, and artificial intelligence.
