Intel's latest "0x114" microcode, intended to address performance issues with Arrow Lake-S processors, has reportedly failed to resolve the problems. New benchmarks suggest that the update may even be causing a performance degradation.
Performance Drop with 0x114 Microcode
Intel's desktop CPUs are facing challenges, with "Raptor Lake Refresh" issues and now emerging problems with Arrow Lake-S processors. A previous release of the 0x114 microcode was meant to fix these issues as reported by Intel's “Field Update," but recent tests reveal that the update has not been successful.
Benchmarks by @CapFrameX show a significant drop in gaming performance with the new microcode. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K saw an average FPS decline of around 18% in Cyberpunk 2077. This is particularly concerning given that Intel had promised "double-digit" performance gains with the update.
Memory Latency Increase
In addition to the performance drop, memory latency has also reportedly increased, rising by around 14% in the same tests. This performance degradation is particularly disappointing.
While it's necessary to gather further evidence from more tests, it's clear that Intel needs to rethink its approach to the desktop CPU market.
Intel's Response
Intel is expected to address these issues at a media briefing around CES 2025. For now, consumers need to wait for further updates to determine if the performance issues persist across all systems.
