As PCMag’s senior writer covering desktop processors, graphics cards, and other components, I’ve stressed, benched, and ranked all kinds of PC parts for years. I run all of these parts through intense benchmarking and push them to their limits, so I know how much juice each of these chips can draw for their price and how much speed they can deliver in return. When looking at CPUs in particular, finding a genuine bargain can be challenging, with ever-shifting prices and numerous side considerations: What motherboard do you have? What else will you need to buy to make that chip work? But I’m here to simplify your PC part shopping during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days 2025.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is one of the best processors I’ve tested in the last year. When I reviewed it, I thought this processor provided exceptional performance for its price range, which, based on the list price, is between $394 and $404. Now that you can pick one up for just $246.98, it’s a tough deal to pass up on for your next big desktop upgrade.
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The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K: Better Than You’ve Heard
If you are looking to build a PC and have been reading up on what parts you need, you’ve likely heard at some point that Intel’s new “Arrow Lake” processors are not so good for gaming. You may have even heard you should avoid Intel’s Arrow Lake processors in general for this or other reasons. But the truth is that Intel’s Arrow Lake processors are much better than they often get credit for.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K comes equipped with 20 CPU cores, eight of which are high-performance P-cores and 12 of which are high-efficiency E-cores. The processor can also turbo-boost up to 5.5GHz, and this combination of a large core count with a relatively fast clock speed enables it to perform exceptionally well in most CPU-intensive tests. Sometimes, the Core Ultra 7 265K can even match the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, a far more expensive processor.
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(Credit: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)
While it’s true that the Core Ultra 7 265K isn’t quite as fast as the competition while gaming, the issue is most noticeable while playing games with relatively low graphics settings and using high-end graphics cards. You won’t see as much impact if you use a low-end graphics card. If you run games with high graphics settings, the performance difference between the Core Ultra 7 265K and the AMD Ryzen competition becomes much smaller and can even disappear. In short, this means that, while there is a measurable difference between the Core Ultra 7 265K and the competition in gaming performance, you aren’t likely to see it in most circumstances, and you can still enjoy a delightful gaming experience from the likes of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.
Another major plus to the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is its integrated graphics processor (IGP). This means you won’t need to buy a graphics card if you don’t want to. Many older and less graphically intense games can run quite well on this IGP, so casual gamers who aren’t looking to play the newest AAA titles may be satisfied with gaming on the Ultra 7’s IGP. Those who don’t want to game, likewise, won’t have any issues with the Ultra 7’s IGP.
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An Incredible Price, But For How Long?
If the Core Ultra 7 265K was a decent buy at its original MSRP of $394 (or $404; Intel typically sets a $10 range on its MSRPs), then it’s an incredible buy now at just $246.98. This deal isn’t likely to last long, as Amazon’s store page already indicates that there are only 20 left in stock. However, this number could change, as Amazon has been known to restock items during its Prime Day sales events in the past.
Don’t miss out on any of the savings. Make sure to keep an eye on our round-up of the Best of Prime Big Deal Days 2025.
About Our Expert
Michael Justin Allen Sexton
Senior Writer, Hardware
Experience
I have been interested in science and technology for as long as I can remember, spurred on by a fondness for video games. I learned to work in Windows and manipulate files to get buggy games to work, and I learned to build and upgrade PCs for better performance.
In my role at PCMag for the past four years, I’ve deeply enjoyed the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise. Before PCMag, I wrote for Tom’s Hardware for three years, where I covered tech news, deals, and wrote a few hands-on reviews. After working as a PCMag contributor for a time reviewing desktops, PC cases, budget processors, and motherboards, I now focus on testing and reviewing processors and graphics cards and sharing my insights on the industry.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-10-07 16:55:00
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