Facepalm: Intel's new Arrow Lake Refresh chips launched to strong acclaim in March, with reviewers praising their significantly improved performance and superior value compared to last year's SKUs. However, the value proposition has just become slightly less compelling, as leading online retailers are now selling the processors at prices above their official MSRPs.
The Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus, Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, and Core Ultra 7 270K Plus are selling well above MSRP on Newegg, Microcenter, B&H, Amazon, and other online retailers. For example, the 270K Plus is currently listed at $350 on Newegg, $50 above its official $300 MSRP, while the 250K Plus retails for $220, a full $20 higher than its original $200 asking price. The 250KF Plus, which lacks an integrated GPU, is priced at $200, up $15 from its $185 launch price.
Prices at other online stores are largely similar, making it unlikely that buyers will find these CPUs at Intel's recommended rates anytime soon. Still, even at the elevated prices, the new chips offer strong value for gamers seeking performance on a budget. Most reviewers agree that the 250K Plus is currently the best option at the $200 price point, while the 270K Plus is an excellent choice for those unwilling to spend $500 or more on a CPU.
The price hike comes just days after Intel executive David Feng confirmed that the company has raised CPU prices for OEMs to offset rising input costs amid ongoing supply constraints. AMD is also reportedly considering a similar move, with Japanese publication Nikkei reporting last week that the company has informed OEM partners of plans to implement a price increase in late March or early April.
Intel has already confirmed that Nova Lake CPUs will launch later this year, potentially delivering significant improvements in performance and efficiency. The new chips are designed to compete directly with AMD's X3D lineup, featuring up to 144MB of total L3 cache and a fully unlocked multiplier aimed at gamers and overclocking enthusiasts. The flagship Nova Lake SKU is rumored to offer up to 52 cores, including 16 Coyote Cove P-cores, 32 Arctic Wolf E-cores, and 4 low-power efficiency cores.