Intel has launched its Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus desktop processors, so when and where can you actually buy them? There’s no early pre-order period (aside from the 250KF Plus variant), and consumers can pick up one of these new Arrow Lake refresh chips starting today, March 26. We’ve put together a list of the best retailers for the job in three regions.

Reviews for the Arrow Lake refresh were released a few days ago, revealing excellent performance – even matching up to the former flagship Intel i9-14900K in terms of gaming prowess. AMD Ryzen may still be the best for gaming thanks to its X3D technology, but these new Intel CPUs are fantastic all-rounders and a welcome upgrade to the existing Arrow Lake chips.

When do the Arrow Lake refresh CPUs go on sale? Release date & time

The first thing to know is that the new refreshed ‘K Plus’ models go on sale on March 26 (which is today, at the time of writing). In fact, we’ve already seen CPUs available to purchase across popular retailers such as Amazon & Newegg. Intel revealed the release date in an official blog post when the processors were originally unveiled. However, an exact time of day was never specified.

An extra variant of the 250K Plus is available to pre-order today at some retailers – the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus. The ‘F’ suffix for Intel processors denotes a lack of integrated graphics, which helps drop the price a little; specs are otherwise the same. According to Newegg, this model will be released on April 3 in the US, though UK retailers already have it available for shipping.

Not every retailer has these new chips available to purchase right this second, but they should appear later today based on our experience covering CPU (and GPU) launches from the likes of Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. We predict that wide availability will arrive at 6 AM Pacific Time / 9 AM Eastern Time / 1 PM GMT (UK).

Intel’s 270K Plus and 250K Plus arrive as direct upgrades to two original Arrow Lake chips – the Core Ultra 7 265K and Core Ultra 5 245K, respectively.

How much do the Arrow Lake refresh CPUs cost?

In its original reveal post, Intel said the 270K Plus and 250K Plus will be available for $299 and $199 (USD), respectively. It’s now evident that the sub-$200 price tag was referring to the cheapest KF model, which lacks integrated graphics. In any case, the exact pricing currently differs depending on the retailer you opt for.

Actual pricing at online retailers differs, but below are the cheapest we’ve seen so far. We’re unable to confirm the pricing in Canada at the time of writing.

• Core Ultra 7 270K Plus – $319.99 (USD) / £299.99 (GBP)
• Core Ultra 5 250K Plus – $219.99 (USD) / £209.99 (GBP)
• Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus – $199.99 (USD) / £184.99 (GBP)

Do I need a new motherboard for the 270K Plus or 250K Plus?

The 270K Plus and 250K/KF Plus processors use the LGA 1851 socket, which is the very same as the original Arrow Lake (Core Ultra Series 2) CPUs that came before them. If you already own a Core Ultra desktop CPU and wish to upgrade, you won’t need to change your motherboard.

However, it’s more likely that you’re upgrading from an older generation. If you’re currently using any Intel CPU that uses the previous branding (Intel Core i3, i5, i7, i9), then you’ll need to buy a new motherboard. Z890 motherboards are the latest flagship Intel boards, and we’re also starting to see ‘Z890 Plus’ motherboards surface as part of the Arrow Lake refresh launch.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.