Intel’s weirdest recent gaming CPU story just got more interesting. The Core 9 273PQE, a Bartlett Lake chip that is not even meant for normal desktop buyers, has reportedly shown better gaming performance than the Core i9-14900K in several titles.
That sounds spicy, especially if you are the type of Malaysian PC kaki still holding on to an LGA 1700 setup and wondering whether there is one last upgrade path hiding somewhere. But before anyone starts hunting Shopee, Lazada, or Taobao listings, this chip comes with a lot of caveats.
What makes the Core 9 273PQE different?
The Core 9 273PQE is part of Intel’s Bartlett Lake lineup, which is aimed at the embedded segment rather than regular consumers. The key detail here is that this particular model is a 12 P-core-only chip.
That is very different from the Core i9-14900K, which uses Intel’s hybrid setup with 8 Performance cores and 16 Efficient cores. Both chips are connected to the wider LGA 1700 ecosystem, and Bartlett Lake uses Raptor Cove Performance cores, but normal mainstream boards do not officially support these P-core-only CPUs because Intel has not provided a standard BIOS for them.
In short: yes, the socket connection is technically interesting. No, this is not a plug-and-play upgrade for your usual gaming motherboard.
The gaming results are actually not bad
According to testing by German YouTuber Zed Up, the Core 9 273PQE was successfully compared against the Core i9-14900K across multiple games. The Bartlett Lake chip reportedly pulled ahead by up to 9% in titles like Outcast 1.1 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Other games, including Horizon Zero Dawn and Monster Hunter Wilds, apparently showed a smaller but still notable 5-6% FPS advantage for the 273PQE. That suggests the extra Performance cores can help in some gaming workloads, even when the 14900K is still a monster CPU on paper.
But it is not a clean sweep. Counter-Strike 2 and Rainbow Six Siege did not show the same advantage, which is important because those are exactly the kind of esports titles many SEA gamers actually care about. If your main grind is CS2, Valorant-style shooters, or competitive FPS where latency and engine behaviour matter more than raw core count, this chip is not suddenly a magic upgrade.
Why Malaysian PC builders should care, but not overreact
For Malaysia and SEA, the big takeaway is not that everyone should buy a Core 9 273PQE. The real point is that Intel’s P-core-heavy design still has legs for gaming, especially in titles that can benefit from stronger high-performance cores.
That said, value matters here. There is no normal Malaysia retail pricing for the Core 9 273PQE, and because it is an embedded-focused part, getting one would likely involve niche sellers, imported stock, custom BIOS work, and extra risk. Once you factor all that in, the total platform cost could easily become worse than just buying a regular 14th Gen Intel setup or moving to another mainstream gaming platform.
For most local builders, a Core i5, Core i7, Ryzen 7 X3D, or discounted 14th Gen chip will still make more sense. You get proper motherboard support, easier warranty handling, and less headache if something goes wrong.
Cool experiment, not a normal upgrade path
The Core 9 273PQE is a fun reminder that CPU architecture can still surprise us. A 12 P-core-only Intel chip beating the i9-14900K in some games is genuinely interesting, especially for hardware nerds who love pushing unsupported platforms.
But for everyday Malaysian gamers, this is more of a “wah, cool benchmark” story than a buying recommendation. Until Intel actually brings something like this into the consumer market with proper board support and sensible pricing, the 273PQE stays as enthusiast lab material, not your next practical gaming CPU.
Source: Wccftech Gaming