From ExtremeTech: Intel has cut the prices of its flagship Core Ultra 200 desktop processors as part of its fall and Black Friday sales, knocking up to $200 off in some cases and making these CPUs the cheapest they've ever been. This comes following stiff competition from AMD's Ryzen 9000 range, particularly the X3D chips, which have been stellar for gaming.
The Intel Core Ultra 200 generation didn't make much of a splash when it debuted in fall 2024. It was terrific in terms of performance per watt, offering huge efficiency improvements over its 14th-generation desktop CPUs. But it actually fell behind slightly in gaming, and productivity wasn't hugely improved. It was a bit of a damp squib: great at some professional workloads, but not particularly exciting anywhere else.
But anything can be a steal at the right price. To this end, Intel has switched places with mid-2010s AMD and is now playing the value game. Following these recent price drops, some real value can be found.
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