Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Processor

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Processor — 24 cores and 24 threads, 3.7 GHz base rising to 5.7 GHz with Turbo Boost, 36 MB Intel Smart Cache, 125 W processor base power, LGA1851. Supplied from stock with a 1-year warranty.

The Arrow Lake flagship, 24 cores at 5.70 GHz

The Core Ultra 9 285K is the flagship of the first Arrow Lake generation: eight Lion Cove performance cores plus sixteen Skymont efficiency cores — twenty-four cores, twenty-four threads — at 3.70 GHz P-core base with a 5.70 GHz maximum turbo, an unlocked multiplier, 36 MB of cache and a 125 W base power, launched Q4 2024 on the new LGA1851 socket. Hyper-Threading is gone: each physical core is one thread, and the wider efficiency-core pool carries the throughput instead.

Thread Director schedules the hybrid layout, the NPU adds thirteen TOPS of on-die AI acceleration beside the Intel Graphics engine, and DDR5-6400 with PCIe 5.0 marks the platform jump to the 800-series chipsets. It is the biggest architectural reset of the desktop line in years — a new socket, a new core design and no Hyper-Threading.

Technical specifications

Instruction set extensions: Intel SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX and AVX2. Security and virtualisation: AES-NI, Intel VT-x with EPT and VT-d, Intel Boot Guard. On-die AI acceleration comes from the Intel AI Boost NPU, and workload scheduling between the performance and efficiency cores is handled by Intel Thread Director.

Which systems take this processor

Anything on the LGA1851 socket with an Intel 800 series chipset: Z890 for overclocking, B860 and H810 for mainstream builds. This is a brand-new platform introduced with the Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake) desktop line: DDR5-only memory, PCIe 5.0 on the graphics link and an on-die NPU.

• Gaming and performance desktops — Z890 boards from ASUS ROG STRIX / TUF, MSI MPG and Gigabyte AORUS take the unlocked Series 2 parts in stride, with DDR5-6400 kits widely available.
• Mainstream and OEM towers — B860 and H810 boards, plus 2025-era machines from Dell, HP and Lenovo, were specified around the 65 W tier of this line; check the chassis CPU support list before transplanting between machines.
• Platform notes — memory is DDR5 UDIMM only (no DDR4 option on this socket), and both memory channels should be populated with a matched pair for the rated bandwidth.

Two caveats: LGA1851 boards do not accept LGA1700 processors and vice versa — the socket looks similar but the pinout and keying changed, so check the socket, not just the brand. On the other hand, the cooler mounting pattern carries over from LGA1700, so most recent tower coolers fit without a new bracket; verify the cooler's rated wattage against the processor anyway. Tell us the board or the machine model when you enquire and we will confirm before you order.

How it compares across the Core Ultra line

The 285 trades the unlocked multiplier and higher clocks for a 65 W envelope, and the Plus-refresh 270K Plus brings the same eight-plus-sixteen layout to the Ultra 7 tier with DDR5-7200 support; all of them share the LGA1851 platform.

How each processor is tested before it ships

1. Visual inspection of the integrated heat spreader, substrate and contact pads; the sSpec laser marking (SRQD5 on our Ultra 9 285K stock) is verified against the Intel specification sheet.
2. Burn-in on a matched diagnostic board with a pair of memory modules of the correct type for this platform.
3. All populated memory channels and the primary PCIe lanes are validated, then the processor is identified in the BIOS and in the operating system.
4. A sustained multi-threaded load test at full core count, with the clock and thermal readings recorded.
5. Thermal paste cleaned off, final inspection, then packaging in an anti-static tray with foam — which is how it arrives to you.

Warranty and lead time

Every processor is covered by a 1-year warranty against defects in workmanship and function. If a part fails within the period we replace it or refund it, and we cover return shipping on a verified fault. Stock is held in our own warehouse and normally dispatches within three to seven working days; tracking is issued at dispatch.

Purchasing and volume enquiries

The minimum order quantity for this processor is 2 units. Price is quotation-based rather than listed, because CPU pricing moves with each incoming batch — send us the quantity you need and we will come back with a firm quote and the current lead time. Larger quantities ship from the same production batch so the sSpec and the stepping stay consistent across your order.