Intel’s Latest “0x114” Microcode Allegedly Worsens “Arrow Lake-S” CPU Problems, Causing Up to 18% Performance Decline

Intel’s latest "0x114" microcode hasn’t managed to fix the nagging performance problems with the Arrow Lake processors. Recent benchmarks have shown that the situation has actually worsened.

Struggles Continue for Intel’s Arrow Lake Desktop CPUs with Another BIOS Update Falling Short

Intel enthusiasts, known as Team Blue, are not finding much joy with their desktop CPUs in the market. Already facing the thermal instability challenges with the "Raptor Lake Refresh" series, a new hurdle has emerged with the Arrow Lake-S processors. If you missed it, Intel discovered a significant disparity between the ARL-S performance in consumer systems and their internal testing. To address this, they recently rolled out a "0x114" microcode, aimed at tackling multiple core issues as highlighted in their recent "Field Update." However, the expected resolution hasn’t materialized yet.

In a detailed report from @CapFrameX, it appears Intel’s 0x114 microcode hasn’t solved the Arrow Lake-S problems. Testing shows another substantial decline in gaming performance. When testing Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K on Cyberpunk 2077, the average frames per second (FPS) tumbled by 18%. In light of Team Blue’s promise of a "double-digit" performance boost with this BIOS update, these preliminary results suggest a very different outcome.

Image Credits: CapFrameX

In addition to the FPS drop, memory latency reportedly increased by about 14%, which is quite disappointing. It’s worth mentioning that these benchmarks are considered among the more credible assessments of the new 0x114 microcode. To conclusively declare the ARL-S BIOS update flawed, more comprehensive evidence is required. However, as things stand, it seems Intel needs to reconsider its strategy in the desktop CPU market.

Intel is also gearing up for a media briefing at CES 2025 to address these Core Ultra 200S performance concerns. This is likely the event where we’ll learn more about the future of Intel’s Arrow Lake-S series. In the meantime, ARL-S users must wait for an official word from Intel to confirm if the current benchmark results, showing performance drops with 0x114 microcode, hold true across all systems.