Intel is boosting the performance of its Arrow Lake CPUs for free

Intel continues to work on getting better results from its Arrow Lake CPUs, now with a free update that it says will boost gaming performance. The company announced that the update, an overclocking profile called Intel 200S Boost," is available for unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S-series processors paired with compatible Intel Z890 motherboards and appropriate Intel XMP" RAM modules.

The new profile follows previous tweaks, such as a BIOS update from March that The Verge's Tom Warren found gave the Core Ultra 9 285K CPU inconsistently improved gaming performance. After testing the new update this week in multiple games and configurations, Tom's Hardware reports an average improvement of 7.5% over the officially supported memory speeds."

Intel says that the 200S Boost profile allows users to achieve higher fabric, die-to-die, and memory frequencies" for better results during low-latency workloads like gaming." It adds that applying the new boost profile won't affect your CPU's warranty. I should hope not!

Here's Intel's list of processors that support the update:

• Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
• Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
• Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF
• Intel Core Ultra 5 245K
• Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF

And here is how Intel describes the steps to apply its new overclocking profile:

1. Update BIOS - Ensure your motherboard is running the latest BIOS version to access Intel 200S Boost.
2. Enable 200S Boost Profile - Navigate to your BIOS overclocking section and select Intel 200S Boost' under the preset profiles.
3. Restart Your System - Restart your desktop PC to enable the Intel 200S Boost profile.
4. Run Stability Tests - Use programs like Cinebench to verify system stability.
5. Monitor Performance - Utilize monitoring software like Intel XTU to track temperatures and voltage if desired.

Intel cautions that certain motherboards and RAM modules may not work with the new overclocking profile; the company has a list of all the compatible motherboards and RAM modules on its page, along with other caveats.