Intel’s Core Ultra 5 225 and 225F CPUs have taken a significant dip in price across both US and EU markets, offering budget builders a tempting but still complex choice. These chips, launched earlier in 2025 during CES as part of Intel’s Arrow Lake-S Non-K lineup, were meant to cater to entry-level PC users. Originally priced at $246 and $231 respectively, the Core Ultra 5 225 now goes for around $211, while the 225F drops even further to $193 in the US.
Meanwhile, across Europe and Korea, discounts hit even harder-with prices reaching the equivalent of $170 in some regions.
On paper, these cuts should be cause for celebration. But for many in the DIY PC community, Intel’s new budget chips still feel like a hard sell. Performance-wise, they’re lagging behind AMD’s Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel’s own previous-gen i5-14400F, both of which now sit in the $110-$120 range. Add in the requirement for a new motherboard due to Arrow Lake’s fresh socket, and the overall value proposition dims fast.
Retailers like Amazon and Newegg list the 225 and 225F with decent markdowns, but enthusiasts point out that these still don’t beat the competition in performance-per-dollar. With AM5 motherboards also dropping in price, AMD’s platform continues to offer better long-term flexibility. That said, if you’re already committed to Intel’s LGA 1851 platform or just need a quick upgrade, the lower prices make these CPUs slightly more palatable.
In short, while Intel’s Core Ultra 5 price drops are a step in the right direction, they haven’t shifted the narrative. For now, it seems the “budget” crown remains firmly on AMD’s head.