Intel’s most interesting gaming CPU right now might not even be a normal desktop chip. Wild, right?
A new benchmark run spotted by Tom’s Hardware suggests Intel’s Core 9 273PQE, part of the Bartlett Lake family, can outperform the Core i9-14900K in several games by as much as 9%. The catch: this is an embedded-focused processor, not a retail CPU you can casually buy for your next Shopee or Low Yat build.
The Core 9 273PQE is unusual because it skips Intel’s recent hybrid P-core plus E-core design. Instead, it goes all-in with 12 performance cores based on Raptor Cove, the same general CPU architecture used in Intel’s 13th and 14th-gen Raptor Lake chips. That gives it 24 threads, a reported 5.9GHz peak boost clock, and 36MB of L2 cache plus 36MB of L3 cache.
Basically, this thing is Intel asking: what if we just stuffed more big cores into the package and aimed it at serious embedded systems?
In a four-hour livestream, a German YouTuber tested the chip against the Core i9-14900K across several games. Most of the tests were run at 720p, which is important because that resolution pushes more load onto the CPU instead of the GPU. For competitive players, especially CS2 and Rainbow Six Siege kaki, this kind of testing is useful because high-FPS esports setups often become CPU-limited.
The 273PQE came out around 5% faster in Horizon Zero Dawn and 6% faster in Monster Hunter Wilds. Rainbow Six Siege was roughly tied, while Counter-Strike 2 also ended up similar between both chips. The bigger wins came in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Outcast, where the Bartlett Lake chip was reportedly up to 9% ahead.
That makes the Core 9 273PQE look like a candidate for Intel’s fastest gaming CPU, at least unofficially. Intel does have the Core i9-14900KS, but Tom’s Hardware notes that the special edition chip is not typically 10% faster than the 14900K, so the Bartlett Lake result is genuinely spicy.
Still, don’t take this as a normal buying recommendation. This is not a mainstream desktop release, and it is meant for embedded or mission-critical deployments. Intel has not made it officially compatible with standard LGA 1700 desktop motherboards. Some modders have managed to get the chip running on consumer boards through BIOS modifications, but that is enthusiast territory — not something most Malaysian gamers should risk for a daily rig.
For SEA PC builders, the practical takeaway is different. If you are building a gaming PC today, this chip is more of a tech curiosity than a real option. No normal local pricing, no easy warranty path, and no guarantee your motherboard will behave nicely. Kalau you are spending serious RM on a gaming setup, an off-the-shelf CPU with proper motherboard support still makes way more sense.
The result also highlights Intel’s current gaming problem. Arrow Lake and the Core Ultra 200S series did not clearly move gaming performance beyond older Raptor Lake chips. Intel improved things with newer Core Ultra 200 Plus models by tuning internal fabric speeds, but even then, the 14900K remains a tough reference point in gaming benchmarks.
And yes, AMD’s X3D chips are still the big boss fight here. A 9% win over the 14900K in selected tests is cool, but it does not automatically dethrone Ryzen X3D CPUs, especially for gaming-first builds.
So the Core 9 273PQE is exciting, but in a very nerdy way. It shows Intel still has gaming performance hiding in its older Raptor Cove design when configured differently. For regular gamers in Malaysia and SEA, though, this is more one to watch than one to buy.
Source: Tom's Hardware