Intel's new Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop processors have garnered a lot of attention lately for their snappy gaming performance and phenomenal value, and I know that many PC gamers have been anxiously awaiting their official launch today, March 26.
There's no doubt in my mind that these chips are going to sell fast, and if you're interested, you'll want to nab one before they sell out and prices go up. I bring good news. Antonline has limited quantities of the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus chips available now to buy at $214.99. Should you want integrated graphics, you can also pick up the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus for $229.99.
Intel's new Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop processors are an impressive generational refresh that kind of caught everyone off guard when they were announced.
They arrive as a low-cost alternative to Intel's flagship 200S "Arrow Lake" chips with gamers and creators in mind, and the reception from tech reviewers, including Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson, has been largely positive.
Wilson awarded the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus a Windows Central Best Award in his review, remarking:
Ultimately, this chip is the one that backs up Intel's claims against its competition, as it aggressively tackles AMD's Ryzen 9000 Series with an admirable move towards value for money. It's especially important as your average PC gamer is repeatedly beaten over the head by the ongoing memory and storage crisis; you might only need to commit to a new motherboard.
The difference between the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus is only a lack of integrated graphics in the latter. That means you'll need to pair it with a dedicated GPU, which most gamers and creators will already plan to do. That saves you some money compared to the 250K Plus, which Antonline also has for sale at launch.
The Core Ultra 5 250K/F Plus comes with 18 cores, 18 threads, and a boost clock up to 5.30GHz. You can see how the chip's performance compares to other CPUs we've recently reviewed in these graphs.
The Core Ultra 5 200K/F Plus is unlocked for overlocking (that's where the 'K' designator comes into play), and it works with the Intel LGA 1851 socket that's already in use by the non-Plus 200S chips. It can be paired with DDR5 RAM up to 7,200MHz.
Antonline will also have the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus for sale soon, should you want to grab the more powerful chip with integrated graphics.
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