INTEL ARROW LAKE

Intel's latest Arrow Lake CPU launch didn't feature the highly utilized hyper-threading feature from previous models, shifting focus to adding more physical cores in a hybrid setup.

Reasons for Droping Hyper-Threading

Hybrid Core

Intel's introduction of hybrid cores—P-cores (Performance) and E-cores (Efficient)—reduces the efficiency gains from hyper-threading, minimizing the benefit of this complex technology.

Reduction in Production cost

Hyper-threading requires each thread to have its own registers, which can drive up the cost of multi-core processors.

Benefits of Disabling Hyper-Threading

Since hyper-threading can be disabled in most CPUs on the market, this may be another reason for dropping it, at least in consumer-grade processors.

Single-Core Performance

A solid single core without hyper-threading can improve performance in applications that are poorly optimized for multi-core and hyper-threaded cpu setups.

Security Risks

Hyper-threading introduces vulnerabilities such as Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS). Disabling hyper-threading can reduce exposure to these attacks. Many users who prioritize security over performance often disable hyper-threading.

Improves Efficiency

Disabling hyper-threading makes the CPU significantly more power-efficient, positioning it to compete effectively with ARM-based processors.