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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View Amazon Prime Day Deals Essential Hardware PC Gaming Show Recommended reading Intel's next batch of CPUs might still be called Core Ultra 200S, possibly because the Arrow Lake refresh won't be much of a boost An Intel Nova Lake leak suggests the next generation of Core Ultra chips will have 60% more multi-threaded performance, but the numbers just don't add up Intel's next-gen Nova Lake CPUs rumoured to take on AMD's X3D CPUs at last thanks to gaming-friendly cache memory tile Intel's next-gen Nova Lake CPU rumoured to get up to 52 cores, over double the count of Arrow Lake across all segments Intel's upcoming Panther Lake CPU looks like a killer gaming handheld chip thanks to a reported massive graphics upgrade, hefty AI performance and upgraded E-cores Intel's all-important Panther Lake mobile chip rumoured to launch later this year with just one model and it won't be getting the exciting graphics option Intel has released a free 'performance boost for low-latency workloads like gaming' for Core Ultra 200S processors New Arrow Lake refresh rumours confirm addition of NPU to bring Microsoft's Copilot+ AI features to desktop machines Hope Corrigan 9 July 2025 But with no other improvements, these still aren't looking like a gamer CPU of choice. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Fritzchen Fritz) The rumours around an Arrow Lake refresh from Intel are back! Again! And this time they're focussing on AI. This generation of chips launched with more of a plop than a cheer leaving gamers disappointed with their new CPU. Intel could be looking to correct this, though as the company hasn't come out and confirmed the next set of Arrow Lake cards, we've been hearing rumours all year, and the latest give more weight to an improved NPU to target AI. The Verge spotted an article on ZDNet Korea, which reiterates the idea that the Arrow Lake refresh won't change much, but will deliver an NPU for AI performance. According to the article, these chips will use the same architecture we saw on the Lunar Lake laptop CPU that allowed them to receive the Copilot Plus AI update last November. With this NPU4 design, the new Arrow Lake chips could be the first Intel desktop CPUs with the ability to run this tech. Weirdly, this looks like the only real change Intel is planning for this refresh, which is sad news for gaming. With no expected change to clock speeds, you will probably get more from enabling Intel's 200S Boost Mode than upgrading to a refresh. Which you should absolutely do if you're running an Arrow Lake CPU. Related Articles Intel's next batch of CPUs might still be called Core Ultra 200S, possibly because the Arrow Lake refresh won't be much of a boost An Intel Nova Lake leak suggests the next generation of Core Ultra chips will have 60% more multi-threaded performance, but the numbers just don't add up Intel's next-gen Nova Lake CPUs rumoured to take on AMD's X3D CPUs at last thanks to gaming-friendly cache memory tile Instead, the focus on the NPU means these new Arrow Lakes indicates a reliance on the AI abilities of this chip. While its likely not aimed at PC gamers, that doesn't mean it won't have some extra functionality in there to improve your games. If it is the same NPU4 architecture then they should at least be able to run Microsoft's upscaling tech, Auto Super Resolution, which was originally only available on Snapdragon powered Copilot+ machines. It's a bit different to Nvidia's DLSS4 or AMD's FRS4, but this upscaling tech could still help a bunch when it comes to making games look better and run smoother. Unlike the other two, Auto Super Resolution is handled entirely by the CPU, and has a toggle that can be turned on in Windows to run it. Though, the list of compatible games still isn't exactly huge, for now. It will be interesting to see how these refreshed chips do in desktop machines, but I'm not expecting them to be the top pick for gamers by any means. If you are super keen on Microsoft's upscaling tech then you might be better off holding out until its available on a more gamer-favoured CPU. Microsoft has said the Copilot Plus features will be coming to Intel Lunar Lake and AMD Strix Point PCs at some point in the future too, so maybe the updated Arrow Lakes will make for a perfect testing ground for the software. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Best CPU for gaming 2025All our current recommendations 👉Check out our full guide👈 1. Best overall: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 2. Best budget: Intel Core i5 13400F 3. Best mid-range: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 4. Best high-end: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 5. Best AM4 upgrade: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D 6. Best CPU graphics: AMD Ryzen 7 8700G Hope Corrigan Social Links Navigation Hardware Writer Hope’s been writing about games for about a decade, starting out way back when on the Australian Nintendo fan site Vooks.net. Since then, she’s talked far too much about games and tech for publications such as Techlife, Byteside, IGN, and GameSpot. Of course there’s also here at PC Gamer, where she gets to indulge her inner hardware nerd with news and reviews. You can usually find Hope fawning over some art, tech, or likely a wonderful combination of them both and where relevant she’ll share them with you here. When she’s not writing about the amazing creations of others, she’s working on what she hopes will one day be her own. You can find her fictional chill out ambient far future sci-fi radio show/album/listening experience podcast right here. No, she’s not kidding. 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Intel's next batch of CPUs might still be called Core Ultra 200S, possibly because the Arrow Lake refresh won't be much of a boost An Intel Nova Lake leak suggests the next generation of Core Ultra chips will have 60% more multi-threaded performance, but the numbers just don't add up Intel's next-gen Nova Lake CPUs rumoured to take on AMD's X3D CPUs at last thanks to gaming-friendly cache memory tile Intel's next-gen Nova Lake CPU rumoured to get up to 52 cores, over double the count of Arrow Lake across all segments Intel's upcoming Panther Lake CPU looks like a killer gaming handheld chip thanks to a reported massive graphics upgrade, hefty AI performance and upgraded E-cores Intel's all-important Panther Lake mobile chip rumoured to launch later this year with just one model and it won't be getting the exciting graphics option Latest in Hardware I still believed 'cheap' controllers were a last resort until I picked up this amazing 8BitDo pad, now at its lowest price ever for Amazon Prime Day I've decided black and red gaming rigs are mega boring so let me brighten up your setups with some of the best deals on monochromatic pinks and purple peripherals instead I wish I'd snagged this Seagate Ultra Compact SSD at its cheapest Prime Day price before splurging my cash on non-smol storage For just $16 you can get a little Warhammer 40k JoyToy action figure to guard your PC gaming desk this Prime Day UK looking to revamp defense laws as undersea cable sabotage and cyber attacks create 'gray zone threats' Racks packing Nvidia's newest and shiniest AI supercomputer Blackwell Ultra cards have just been deployed by CoreWeave Latest in News This competitive Blue Prince speedrun from SGDQ 2025 is the pinnacle of human athleticism Another live service shooter comes to a premature end: Steel Hunters, the mech game that launched into early access in April, is closing in October For the next 2 weeks Destiny 2 is completely free to play, even the stuff you normally have to pay for I still believed 'cheap' controllers were a last resort until I picked up this amazing 8BitDo pad, now at its lowest price ever for Amazon Prime Day John Wick Hex and Tron Catalyst dev Mike Bithell thinks licensed games have evolved past 'lunchbox tie-ins' because 'the people who played licensed games are now bosses in the companies that are licensing IP' After 15 years of busted marksdwarves, Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams says archers will finally refill their ammo 'instead of leaping over walls and clubbing people with their crossbows' HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best graphics cards in 2025: I've tested pretty much every AMD and Nvidia GPU of the past 20 years and these are today's top cards Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop NZXT N7 Z890 review NZXT N9 X870E review NZXT N9 Z890 review Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review Razer Joro & Basilisk Mobile review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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