One of the first performance tests of Intel Core Ultra (Arrow Lake) processors after the release of updated Intel microcode version 0x114 showed an increase in the problem of performance degradation in games. The developers of the CapFrameX benchmark reported this on their page on the X network. Intel planned to widely talk about the improvements at CES 2025, which will take place in a few days, but now there are fears that it will have nothing to brag about.
Image Source: Intel
Complaints about the performance of Intel processors in games began to appear shortly after the release of new processors based on the Arrow Lake architecture in November 2024. Intel quickly responded to these reports and by December 19 released new microcode 0x114 to update motherboard firmware. It was assumed that by January, manufacturers would update the firmware or offer users to do it themselves. After the update, performance improvement was expected, but the CapFrameX developers were quick to dispel these expectations.
Image source: CapFrameX/X
According to published screenshots of CapFrameX, after updating the microcode to version 0x114, the performance of the Intel platform has noticeably decreased. For example, the frame rate in *Cyberpunk 2077* has decreased by approximately 20%. In addition, memory access latencies have increased – from 69 ns to 80 ns. While data from a single game isn’t a complete indicator, it does highlight the need for caution when approaching Intel’s new platform.
At CES 2025, Intel promised to reveal a full list of problems associated with the use of new processors, four of which it already reported last month. Otherwise, the release of Arrow Lake processors risks becoming one of the biggest disappointments of the year for a company that is already experiencing the most serious crisis in its history.