Intel’s next wave of mainstream desktop processors is getting closer, and a fresh leak is giving PC builders an early look at what to expect. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has surfaced in Geekbench, hinting at the kind of performance users could see from Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake Refresh lineup, also known as the Core Ultra 200S Plus series.
What makes the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus especially interesting is its position in the market. It’s expected to target the sub-$300 price range, sitting above the current Core Ultra 5 245K, which typically sells around $200 to $215. For gamers and everyday power users who want strong multi-core performance without stepping into premium pricing, that makes the 250K Plus one to watch.
Core Ultra 5 250K Plus specs: more cores, slightly higher boost
According to the leaked benchmark listing, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus comes with 18 cores total in a hybrid setup: 6 Performance cores (P-cores) plus 12 Efficiency cores (E-cores). That’s a clear jump over the Core Ultra 5 245K, which uses a 6P + 8E configuration (14 cores total). In other words, the 250K Plus adds four extra E-cores, which can help with heavily threaded workloads like streaming, content creation, multitasking, and productivity apps that scale well with more cores.
Clock speeds shown in the listing point to a 4.2 GHz base and up to 5.3 GHz boost. That boost figure is about 100 MHz higher than the 245K, making this feel like the kind of practical, incremental uplift you’d expect from a refresh rather than a full generational leap. The leak also mentions 30 MB of L3 cache and 6 MB of L2 cache, and it’s listed as compatible with Intel’s LGA 1851 platform.
Geekbench performance: solid baseline numbers
In the leaked Geekbench 6 run, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scored 3113 points in single-core and 15,251 points in multi-core. The test system reportedly used an ASUS PRIME Z890-P WIFI motherboard paired with 32 GB of DDR5 memory.
These numbers aren’t being framed as a major breakthrough, but they do offer a useful early baseline for what the chip can do. Early benchmark entries can also be a bit conservative due to immature BIOS settings, early microcode, and non-final tuning, so later results could trend higher once platforms and firmware mature closer to launch.
Launch timing, platform notes, and what’s next for Intel sockets
The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is part of Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake Refresh/Core Ultra 200S Plus family, which is currently expected to arrive next month. Multiple chips from the lineup have already been appearing in benchmarks and early retailer listings ahead of release.
This generation is also notable for platform watchers because it’s expected to be the final CPU family for the LGA 1851 socket. Intel is then expected to move on to a new LGA 1954 platform designed for Nova Lake CPUs later this year. For anyone planning a new build, that detail matters: LGA 1851 may offer strong near-term options, but it may not be the long runway upgrade platform some buyers prefer.
Where the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus fits
If the sub-$300 pricing lands as expected, Intel’s Core Ultra 5 250K Plus could become a compelling midrange desktop CPU for users who want modern DDR5 support, high boost clocks, and extra E-cores for smoother multitasking. It looks like an evolution of the current Core Ultra 5 formula rather than a radical redesign, but that may be exactly what value-focused buyers are after: more cores, a little more speed, and a familiar platform as Intel approaches its next socket transition.
