Intel increases its Core Ultra by 15%: what changes
After RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards, it is now the turn of processors to see their prices climb. In early July 2026, Intel without any official announcement raised the suggested retail prices of its Arrow Lake Refresh chips, the Core Ultra 200S Plus, which were launched just a few weeks ago. The increase reaches 15 to 17% on the best-selling models in the range.
Affected models and new pricing
The change was spotted directly on Intel's official specification pages, which were modified silently around July 2. The specialized press, including Tom's Hardware, confirmed the new recommended prices:
| Processor | Launch MSRP | New MSRP | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | $289-$299 | $339-$349 | ≈ +17% |
| Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | $189-$199 | $219-$229 | ≈ +15% |
A $30 to $50 increase on chips released less than two months ago is unusual. Typically, a processor's price erodes over the quarters — not the other way around.
Why is Intel raising its prices?
Several factors are combining. The first is the explosion in demand for AI server chips: Intel is reallocating part of its production capacity toward Xeons intended for data centers, which are more profitable. Mechanically, the supply of consumer processors is tightening.
The second is the memory crisis that has been hitting the entire industry since late 2025. Production costs are climbing at all levels, and manufacturers are passing them on. Intel had already made pricing adjustments on other ranges earlier in the year.
AMD maintains its prices… for now
Faced with this increase, AMD is for the moment maintaining the prices of its desktop Ryzens — a comfortable position while the brand already largely dominates retail processor sales. The Ryzen 7 7700X3D, launched on July 16 at $329, arrives at the perfect time to claim market share.
Regarding graphics cards, however, caution remains the order of the day: a 10 to 15% increase is being considered for the Radeon RX 9000 series in the third quarter, a direct consequence of the price of GDDR6, which has tripled since late 2025.
What this changes for your next PC
For gamers, this increase mainly affects the high end of Intel's latest generation. Tried-and-tested platforms remain spared:
- The Core i3-13100F, i5-12400F, and i5-14400F (LGA1700 socket, DDR4 compatible) maintain a solid performance-to-price ratio for 1080p and 1440p gaming.
- On the AMD side, the Ryzen 5500, 5600GT, and 5700X on AM4 remain budget champions, while the Ryzen 7 7700X on AM5 is aimed at more powerful DDR5 configurations.
In other words, Intel's price hike reinforces the appeal of DDR4 platforms, which have a double advantage in the current context since DDR5 is bearing the full brunt of the memory crisis.
Should you buy now or wait?
All market signals point in the same direction for the second half of 2026: expected increases on RAM, GPUs, and now CPUs. If a purchase or upgrade is planned, postponing it to the fall is likely to cost more, not less.
At DSGate, our gaming PCs are assembled in France using these platforms with a verified performance-to-price ratio, with prices adjusted to the real cost of components. Take a look at our gaming configurations before the next wave of increases.