March 26 was release day for Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K/KF Plus processors. These refreshed models join the code-named Arrow Lake generation, and are direct upgrades to the 265K and 245K – Intel calls them its “fastest gaming desktop processors ever,” even overtaking the Core Ultra 9 285K in terms of gaming performance.

Intel advertised starting prices at $299 and $199 USD for the 270K Plus and 250K Plus, respectively, but even early on, we were noticing that some retailers were selling them at inflated prices. In fact, the 270K Plus is still listed on Amazon for shy of $360, or you can pick one up from Newegg for $350. Stock levels also seem to be affected.

Current pricing for Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

Comparing the original announcement price to the cheapest in-stock option, the 270K Plus is around 17% more expensive than MSRP, while the 250K Plus is up around 10%. As you can see from the table below, Amazon is definitely an outlier at the moment, even for listings shipped and sold directly by Amazon.

Over in the UK, we can see the 270K Plus available for £299 at Scan, and the 250K Plus for £209.99, so market pricing looks to be doing just fine. In fact, the 250KF is already discounted, down from its £199.99 MSRP to just £187.99 as of writing this. Stock levels look to be suffering, however, with no listings on Amazon UK or Overclockers UK (outside of the 250KF for the latter). In wider Europe, the German publication 3DCenter has documented pricing changes and the lack of stock in retail.

Rumors of rising CPU prices began towards the end of last year, shortly after Black Friday, and we’ve seen reports become increasingly common in 2026. Arrow Lake Refresh reviews offered a positive outlook on performance, but price hikes and stock issues are bound to put a dent in sales. The fact that you’ll need an LGA 1851 motherboard to support your Arrow Lake CPU also denies any upgradability, with Intel expected to move to another socket (LGA 1954) for next-gen Nova Lake.

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.