Intel Bartlett Lake: the Core 9 273PQE, with 50% more P-Core, does not keep up with the 13900K

Intel has finally introduced the Bartlett Lake platform, a family of processors that many enthusiasts have long been requesting due to a configuration made up solely of Performance-cores. However, the flagship model, Core 9 273PQE, has featured in benchmarks that have significantly downscaled initial expectations.
According to tests published by PC Games Hardware, the new Intel chip does not manage to keep up in gaming with the older Core i9-13900K, a processor that hit the market four years ago. This result has immediately triggered controversy within the community, especially considering the specifications.
The Core 9 273PQE uses a configuration with 12 Raptor Cove P-cores and completely forgoes E-cores. This is a solution that brings the number of Performance-cores to a value more than 50% higher than the Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K. Operating frequencies are also high: the boost clock is close to that of the 14900K, with only a 5% difference favoring the latter.
For the tests, an ASRock IMB-X1714 motherboard with W680 chipset, specifically designed for Bartlett Lake, was used. It should be noted that the configuration included DDR5-5600 C46 memory, a practically mandatory choice given the system's limited compatibility. The motherboard only supports two RAM kits present in the official QVL.
In gaming benchmarks, the performance of the Core 9 273PQE was very close to that of processors like the Ryzen 7 9700X and Core i5-14600K. The direct comparison with the Core i9-13900K shows a slight advantage for the new chip only when using DDR5-5600 C46 memory. However, the situation changes with higher-performing RAM: the 13900K with DDR5-6000 C28 modules achieves up to 8.5% higher performance.
The data highlights how much memory impacts the gaming performance of the Intel LGA1700 platform. The simple switch from DDR5-5600 C46 to DDR5-6000 C28 allows the Core i9-13900K to increase its gaming performance index by 9.66%.
Also, in productivity, the new processor fails to outshine existing high-end models. The Core 9 273PQE barely surpasses the Core i5-14600K and Ryzen 7 9700X, but the gap quickly grows against the Core i9-13900K. In some scenarios, the Raptor Lake model maintains an advantage of over 40%.
Several factors seem to have limited the potential of Bartlett Lake. Intel has exclusively targeted the platform to the OEM and embedded sectors, a choice that severely reduces optimization and tuning possibilities. The limited memory support also represents a significant constraint, especially considering the impact of RAM on gaming performance.
Additionally, there is another relevant technical element: many modern titles fail to effectively utilize more than eight high-performance cores. Therefore, the 12 P-cores of the Core 9 273PQE end up offering very limited benefits in gaming.
Nevertheless, Bartlett Lake remains a unique offering in the Intel landscape, particularly for users who desired a CPU without E-cores. However, market attention seems to be already shifting towards the next generation Core Ultra 400S "Nova Lake", expected by the end of the year.