Intel has taken an unexpected but necessary step: lowering the price of its Core Ultra 7 200 desktop processors just six months after their late 2024 launch. The move comes in response to sluggish sales, largely driven by pricing that exceeded market expectations without delivering significant performance improvements over the 14th-generation chips they were meant to replace.
From the outset, the Core Ultra 200 series was met with skepticism. Despite the rebranded name, performance gains were marginal, making the high price tag hard to justify. As a result, many consumers turned to more competitive options. A prime example is AMD’s RX 7900 XT graphics card, released in March, which has been selling exceptionally well thanks to its strong price-to-performance ratio—outshining NVIDIA’s RTX 5070 Ti in that regard.
Intel has not clarified why it initially priced the new chips so high, though some analysts speculate it was an attempt to position the processors as premium products without admitting their performance lagged behind the previous generation. If that was the strategy, it clearly missed the mark.
Now, Intel has announced a $100 price cut for two specific models: the Core Ultra 7 265K, dropping from $399 to $299, and the Core Ultra 7 265KF, now priced at $284. It’s worth noting that these are Intel’s recommended retail prices and may vary depending on the retailer, taxes, and local tariffs.
However, the price drop only applies to new orders. This means consumers shouldn’t expect immediate discounts, as existing inventory must first be cleared before retailers can take advantage of the new pricing.
So far, the price cut affects only the Core Ultra 7 lineup. The Core Ultra 9 285 and 285K models remain at $549 and $599, respectively, while the Core Ultra 5 245, 245K, and 245KF models are still priced at $270, $309, and $294.
The price reduction follows Intel’s recent unveiling of the new “200S” overclocking profile, aimed at performance enthusiasts. Together, these moves could help revitalize interest in the Core Ultra 200 series in a market where price-performance balance is more critical than ever.
