DiscussionArrow Lake: The Challenge of a Great Generation?
DiscussionArrow Lake: The Challenge of a Great Generation?
Recently I set up a configuration with my French friend. The box is Be Quiet Pure Base 500 - Gray Metal. The PC fans come preinstalled, plus three Be Quiet! Pure Wings 3 140mm PWM high-speed models. The CPU is an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, paired with a Noctua NH-U12S cooler. The motherboard is ASUS Prime Z890P. RAM is Corsair 64 GB DDR5 @ 5200 MHz. The GPU is a Sapphire Radeon RX 7800 XT, and the SSD is a Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB. The power supply is Cooler Master 1200W, and the screen is a Dell U2724D UltraSharp 27" QHD.
My friend works as an animator, and this new PC performs exceptionally well. It remains stable and delivers top-notch speed and performance. Temperatures stay around 70°C during intense use, and the system runs smoothly. Based on this experience, I think Arrow Lake is not as flawed as it seems online. It’s a reliable build with significant improvements over the 13th and 14th gen, offering better thermal management, increased stability, and outstanding rendering capabilities.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. I believe the downsides of this generation are greatly exaggerated on the internet right now. It truly feels stable and solid, bringing back the quality of Intel’s earlier generations like Sandy Bridge, along with the strong performance that once made Intel a top choice for years.
"Stable" is a fundamental component for every CPU, it's not something to be praised but something to be criticized. ARL performs poorly in gaming, yet it's acceptable for your friend's tasks. Honestly, it becomes appealing for animators when the price drops below AMD's combo. It's disappointing that in China, a 285k is 50$ more than 9950x, and LGA1851 boards are pricier than AM5 ones, making it unnecessary to invest in an ultra 200s platform. Is this the same in France? If a 285k build is 100-200$ cheaper than 9950x's, I'll definitely choose it.
Remember that the price isn't trash-like but resembles it. 245k equals 1999 yuan in China now, which is 50% more than 14600kf (1200 yuan), and slightly higher than 9700x, making it seem like a waste. If it drops to 1300 yuan or less, I'll mark it as trash.
I mostly read gaming tech reviews that focused on the generation aspect. It seems like a decent product overall, but since Raptor was heavily criticized and priced similarly, it's tough to argue for Arrow. Raptor is currently a great value thanks to the implemented fixes. Of course, if you're into gaming, go AMD. If I were purchasing for family or friends doing PC work, I'd choose Raptor. For my company, I'd recommend Arrow.
We started developing it at the beginning of January 2025; during those initial days. The Z890 chipset appeared as the best choice on Amazon and was a solid option at that time.
Thank you for the information!
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I recall the motherboard could initially support 4x48 GB DDR5, but over time its capacity increased to 4x64 GB DDR5 (256 GB) overall. As time progresses, new offers related to the LGA 1851 socket will likely emerge.
Arrow Lake is only problematic if your main purpose is gaming with a $2000 graphics card. On the GPU side (7800 XT), it's likely to be underperforming even with a top-tier CPU, since most games will hit GPU limits before the CPU struggles. For everyday tasks, it offers several benefits.