New data from Geekbench has surfaced for Intel's unannounced “Arrow Lake Refresh”, branding the upcoming performance bump as the “Plus” series. While these chips weren't mentioned during Intel's CES 2026 keynote, the new leaks suggest that both desktop (LGA-1851) and mobile (HX) refreshes are right around the corner.

The desktop flagship, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus (via Benchleaks), appeared on a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice motherboard paired with 48 GB of DDR5-8000 memory. The benchmark results indicate a meaningful performance uplift over the existing 285K, achieved through clock-speed increase rather than architectural changes or core-count increases. The chip maintains the 24-core (8P + 16E) layout but has a reported maximum boost frequency of 5.8 GHz. In the single-core test, it scored 3,456 points, which makes it about 8% faster than the 285K. As for the multi-core score, the upcoming CPU saw a 9% increase over its predecessor, scoring 24,610 points.

The refresh also extends to high-performance laptops and small-form-factor systems. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (via Benchleaks) has been spotted in an Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (model PHN18-I71). However, unlike the 290K Plus entry, this processor wasn't running at full power, reaching a max clock speed of around 841 MHz. That's quite a bit lower than the 5.x GHz we expect from this CPU. As one would expect, the scores were abysmally low and not worth comparing with other CPUs.

Despite no official announcement at CES 2026 last week, we're expecting these chips to still be announced relatively soon. The first entries of an Arrow Lake refresh CPU date back to October 2025, and since then, we've already seen other mentions of these CPUs here and there. So it's looking increasingly like just a matter of time before they become official.

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KitGuru says: Even if these CPUs won't magically make Intel relevant again, they should still offer more performance than Intel currently has.

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If you have ever wondered what it would be like to play The Witcher 3 with friends, well, there's now a mod for that. The “Witcher Online” has just been launched by rejuvenate, accumulating thousands of downloads already.

For a title that has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, the ability to finally explore the continent of The Witcher 3 as a group is a game-changer. The mod (via DSOG) attempts to turn the game into a persistent, social RPG offering full campaign support, combat, movement, and gear sync. The mod also uses dedicated servers instead of peer-to-peer setups, allowing players to play with strangers or friends or to find groups.

To sell the online experience, the modder integrated and synchronised several other popular immersion mods. That includes “Custom Player Characters”, which allows you to break away from being a Geralt clone by personalising your own Witcher, and “Chill Out”, for players to share activities like fishing, sitting at taverns, smoking, or even sleeping. Moreover, you'll also need “Community Patch – Shared Imports” as a dependency, as it allows importing classes and attributes to avoid conflicts with other mods.

Since this is a massive fan-made project rather than an official CD Projekt Red update, you'll probably find bugs and issues with the mod. Moreover, you'll need a legit copy of the game on GOG, Steam, or Epic running version 4.04 (Next-Gen).

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KitGuru says: Even if the rumoured DLC for Witcher 3 doesn't arrive, at least fans can have some fun playing the game online.

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ID-Cooling is updating its low-profile and budget mainstream lineups with various models. The cooling manufacturer has unveiled the IS-77-XT Black, a direct competitor to the low-profile elite, alongside a refreshed SE-XT V2 series that maintains its ultra-aggressive pricing. However, the most surprising addition to their catalogue is the Frost X55, a high-conductivity thermal paste available in five fragrances.

The IS-77-XT Black is a 77 mm-tall top-down cooler designed for Mini-ITX builds. Despite its compact footprint, it features a nickel-plated copper base and six 6 mm heat pipes, allowing it to tame CPUs with a TDP up to 150W. This cooler comes equipped with a slim 120 mm PWM fan capable of 65.2 CFM. Notably, the cooler is designed with 100% RAM clearance in mind. It supports two fan mounting configurations, allowing PC builders to choose between a downward intake (push) and an upward exhaust (pull).

For the mainstream segment, the SE-214-XT (4x heatpipes) and SE-903-XT (3x heatpipes) have received a “V2” overhaul. These refreshed models utilise Heatpipe Direct Touch (HDT) technology and a revised folded-fin stack to improve structural integrity and thermal dissipation, allowing them to be rated for up to 220W. While the only SE-903-XT V2 announced is the ARGB variant, the SE-214-XT V2 lineup has five: Black, Plus (two fans), ARGB, ARGB White, and Auto RGB (OEM only). All models use AS-V2 PWM fans (varying sizes) rated for noise levels up to 29.1 dB(A). The SE-214-XT V2 also introduces a new top cover that conceals the copper heatpipe terminations, giving the budget cooler a more premium look that matches modern blacked-out aesthetics.

Lastly, we have the scented Frost X55 thermal paste. While its primary selling point is a high thermal conductivity of 16.2 W/mK, ID-Cooling is leaning into the “lifestyle” aspect of PC building by offering the paste in five scent variants: Core (unscented), Poma (apple), Bella (strawberry), Viola (floral), and Luna (fresh). The paste is non-conductive and non-corrosive, specifically engineered to resist the “pump-out” effect common in high-pressure mounts, ensuring it remains stable on the die for several years.

Pricing for some of these parts has already been disclosed: the SE-903-XT V2 Black costs $14.99, the SE-214-XT V2 ARGB costs $18.99, and the SE-214-XT V2 Plus costs $19.99.

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KitGuru says: ID-Cooling continues to be a contender in the “bang for buck” category. As for the scented thermal paste? It's undeniably a gimmick, but if the 16.2 W/mK rating holds up well, it might just be the best-smelling way to drop your temps.

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