Intel Core Ultra 3 205 Arrow Lake CPU Leaks With Big Multi-Core Gains Over i3-14100F

Intel’s entry-level Arrow Lake-S desktop CPU, the Core Ultra 3 205, has quietly surfaced ahead of its official launch, and early benchmarks show it handily outpaces the Core i3-14100F.

Although Intel hasn’t formally listed the chip yet, retail sightings and test leaks suggest it’s on the way, mainly through OEM systems.

As the most basic model in the Arrow Lake-S lineup, the Core Ultra 3 205 is clearly aimed at budget builds. It brings 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores (8 cores, 8 threads), clocking in at 3.8 GHz base and 4.9 GHz boost. Cache comes in at 16 MB L3 and 3 MB L2, though some listings report slight discrepancies in these numbers

. Power consumption sits at 65W, making it relatively efficient.

Tested on a Gigabyte H810 motherboard with 8 GB of DDR5, the chip delivered 2664 single-core and 9935 multi-core in Geekbench 6. That’s around 11% faster in single-core and 23% faster in multi-core compared to the Core i3-14100F, which ran with 4 cores/8 threads. By adding efficiency cores, Intel managed to stretch performance in multi-thread tasks without breaking the budget tier ceiling.

How does it stack against AMD? The Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 2085 in single-core and 9380 in multi-core – meaning the new Core Ultra 3 edges it out in multi-threaded performance, but AMD’s broader AM5 lineup still dominates overall. Importantly, AMD’s AM4 platform remains attractive thanks to cheaper DDR4 memory and motherboards, while Intel’s newcomer requires the new LGA 1851 socket and DDR5.

Pricing leaks suggest the Core Ultra 3 205 will land in the $120–$150 range, which could make it appealing for entry-level users who just want a cheap but reasonably capable desktop. Still, with Ryzen 7000 and X3D options offering more muscle per dollar in many cases, Intel’s low-end strategy might feel like too little, too late. The debate among enthusiasts is already heated: some see Intel finally paying attention to budget buyers, others dismiss Arrow Lake’s low end as ‘garbage’ compared to AMD’s value-rich AM4 ecosystem.