Intel raises Core Ultra 270K Plus and 250K Plus prices 15-16%

Intel raised the recommended price of its Core Ultra 7 270K Plus from $299.99 to $349.99 (a 16% jump) and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus from $199.99 to $229.99 (15% up). The new MSRPs appeared on Intel's official product pages without announcement, according to TechPowerUp.

Both chips launched in late April 2026 as part of Arrow Lake-S refresh. The 250K Plus earned praise at $200 for undercutting AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D in productivity tasks (though not in gaming) while matching the older Core Ultra 5 245K's gaming performance. Now at $230, it sits uncomfortably close to budget Ryzen 9000 SKUs and loses the disruptive pricing edge.

The 270K Plus at $350 is harder to defend. It trails the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in gaming by double-digit percentages in most titles, and that chip sells for $479 — but AMD's non-X3D Ryzen 9 9900X often lands around $400-$420 and beats the 270K Plus in both gaming and productivity. Intel's pricing the 270K Plus like it competes with mid-tier Ryzen, but the benchmarks don't back that up.

This is the wrong move if Intel wants to claw back desktop share. The 250K Plus was competitive at $200. At $230, it's just another option in a crowded field.

If you're weighing Arrow Lake against AM5, run the numbers on your workload — the price gap between Intel and AMD's gaming-focused chips just got wider.