If you were one of those eagerly awaiting the official launch of the Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus on this Thursday afternoon, March 26, 2026, you may have been disappointed to see the initial prices in online stores. They are known to be powerful! Eric’s test on H&Co showed it, and we also shared several tests from colleagues so you can compare the viewpoints, which are generally very positive.
However, these reviews logically took into account the official prices announced by Intel, as follows:
| CPU | Official Box Price | Official Tray Price | Converted Box Price | Converted Tray Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | $299 | $289 | $311 TTC | $300 TTC |
| Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | $199 | $189 | $207 TTC | $197 TTC |
| Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus | $184 | $174 | $191 TTC | $181 TTC |
Today is the launch day, and you won’t find these prices at retailers. In France, blame is often laid on the group LDLC for inflating their prices, but in this case, the Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus are more expensive than expected worldwide. We first checked in Germany, not going too far into a more competitive market than ours, and then expanded our observation to the United States and even Japan: everywhere, prices are significantly higher than what was announced, by over 10%…
A spanner in the works to slightly spoil the “party” of finally seeing Intel processors that bring a smile, which hasn’t happened in a while. We will see if prices ease in the coming days, but for now, expect to pay $350 for a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, $250 for a Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, and $230 for a Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus.
Otherwise, if you were still hoping that Intel would finally launch the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, you’ll have to come to terms with it. An Intel Germany spokesperson confirmed to our colleagues at PC Games Hardware that it will not see the light of day:
Intel is pleased to offer outstanding performance-to-price ratio with its Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus series processors. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus are positioned to provide remarkable gaming performance and incredible value compared to the competition. Our goal was to maximize the performance of the most widely available desktop SKUs. Therefore, Intel will not release a U9 290K Plus model.
