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

Intel’s latest microcode, known as "0x114," appears to fall short in tackling the performance hiccups plaguing Arrow Lake processors. According to fresh benchmark results, the situation might be worsening.

Arrow Lake Desktop Processors: A Continued Struggle in the Consumer Market with Yet Another Unsuccessful BIOS Update

It seems Intel’s desktop CPUs are encountering a rocky road in the consumer market. The "Raptor Lake Refresh" series faced issues over thermal stability, and now, another challenge looms with the Arrow Lake-S processors. For those not quite in the loop, Intel noticed a significant performance discrepancy between ARL-S consumer systems and their internal tests. In response, they rolled out a new "0x114" microcode, supposed to address several root issues highlighted in their recent "Field Update." Yet, as things stand, the problems persist.

On Twitter, CapFrameX shared that the latest Alder Lake patches resulted in a substantial drop in performance. Accompanied by an increase in memory latency from roughly 69ns to around 80ns, this performance decline has become a point of frustration for many users.

From new benchmarks observed by @CapFrameX, it’s evident that Intel’s 0x114 microcode hasn’t made much of a difference with Arrow Lake-S issues. Tests are showing a striking drop in gaming performance. Running Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K while playing Cyberpunk 2077 resulted in an 18% FPS decrease—significant, especially considering the previous performance dips. Team Blue had promised customers a "double-digit" performance lift with the new BIOS, yet these early tests appear to tell another story entirely.

Moreover, memory latency is reported to have escalated by approximately 14% in the benchmarks, a rather discouraging development. It’s crucial to highlight that this particular testing is one of the more credible evaluations performed on the new 0x114 microcode. To convincingly argue that the new ARL-S BIOS update is flawed, more evidence would be needed. However, as things stand, it might be fair to say that Intel should reconsider their strategy concerning the desktop CPU market.

Intel plans to hold a media briefing during CES 2025, focusing on Core Ultra 200S performance concerns, setting the stage for the next chapter in the Intel Arrow Lake-S saga. For now, those using ARL-S will need to await an official update from Intel. This update should verify whether the new benchmark results, showing performance declines with the 0x114 microcode, apply consistently across all systems.