Don't be fooled by the $199 price tag. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus might look like a budget processor, but it performs like an Ultra 7 class chip, and there's nothing to touch it for the money. That said, the Core Ultra 7 265K isn't that much more expensive, and it is the better chip for content creation tasks. PC Gamer's got your back Our experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you. Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware. For the refresh of its Arrow Lake-based desktop processor range, Intel has released just two new chips: the brilliant Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and this one, the equally brilliant $199 Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. Apologies for throwing in a review spoiler right at the start like that, but if you've already seen the score and the hardware specs, you won't be surprised in the least bit. Given its Ultra 5 name, it makes sense to directly compare the 250K Plus to the Core Ultra 5 245K, which was launched back in October 2024. While both processors sport six P-cores, Intel has added four more E-cores to the 250K Plus, for a total of 18 cores and 18 threads. If that was the only change, you'd be forgiven for feeling a little disappointed. However, in my talks with Intel of late, the company has stressed that things are very different now, with new staff, new structures, and new ways of thinking and doing things. Which is why the 250K Plus also sports a raft of internal changes to lift it well clear of the 245K. Cores (P+E): 8+12Threads: 18Base clock: 4.2 GHz (P-core)Boost clock: 5.3 GHz (P-core)L3 Cache: 30 MBL2 Cache: 30 MB (Total)Unlocked: YesMax usable PCIe lanes: 24Graphics: Intel Graphics (4 Xe cores)Memory support (up to): DDR5-7200Processor Base Power (W): 125Maximum Package Power (W): 159Recommended customer price: $199/£199.99 The P-core boost clock has been raised by 100 MHz to 5.3 GHz, but the E-core boost clocks remain unchanged at 4.2 GHz. However, the Die-t