Where to buy Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 7 265K and 5 245K: UK and US links

Intel is launching five new Core Ultra Series 2 chips as a part of their biggest CPU re-architecture in years. These are excellent options in terms of content creation performance and good for power efficiency too, but gaming performance isn't yet where it needs to be to compete against the outgoing 14th-gen processors. Still, there are flashes of brilliance in the new design, and we've rounded up where you can find each of the three main chips in the US and UK.

To get started, click on the CPU you're interested in, or scroll on for the full list!

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (£549/$589)

Let's start with the beefiest chip of the lot - the Core Ultra 9 285K. This is a 24 core processor with a max boost clock of 5.7GHz and a 125W TDP. Gaming performance is highly variable, sometimes outperforming the Ryzen 9 9950X and 14900K, and other times coming behind 12th-gen parts - so expect updates to smooth this out. Content creation performance is generally excellent, tending to equal or outperform 14900K while consuming less power.

Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (£380/$499)

As for the Core Ultra 7 265K, this is a 20 core and thread processor with a base clock of 3.9GHz and a boost all the way to 5.5GHz. This comes with a reasonable 125W TDP, as well as a similar launch price to the old Core i7-14700K which came in at £399/$410.

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (£290/$329)

Finally, there's Intel's Core Ultra 5 245K. This is a 14 core/thread chip with a base clock of 4.6Ghz and a 5.2GHz boost. There's a decent 125W TDP and a £100/$80 price cut against the Core Ultra 7 265K at £290/$329.

Frequently asked questions

What motherboards support the new Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chips?

Intel's Z890 and B860 motherboards will support these Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chips out of the box. Previous gen options won't cut it, due to the fact the new chips use the LGA 1851 socket, as opposed to the older LGA 1700 socket. It's seemingly only Z890 options that are available at the moment, with B860 expected to come later.

What memory is best for Intel Core Ultra?

Unlike previous gens of Intel CPUs where you had a choice between DDR4 and DDR5, these new chips are a DDR5-only platform, so your older DDR4 RAM won't work here. Instead, you'll need to pick up a new kit of DDR5, which starts at DDR5-4800 and goes up to DDR5-6400 and beyond. DDR5-6000 is the sweet spot we normally suggest, but we've tested up to DDR5-8400 with the 285K with good results.

The usual RAM buying advice applies here. First, get two or four sticks to ensure you're running in dual channel mode, as using a single stick suffers from a severe performance penalty. Secondly, make sure you enable XMP, DOCP or EXPO in your motherboard's BIOS to ensure that you're getting the rated speeds - you can check your current RAM speed with a free tool like CPU-Z or Windows 11's Task Manager.

What CPU coolers support Intel Core Ultra Series 2 / LGA 1851?

Existing LGA 1700 coolers are backwards compatible with the new LGA 1851 socket, so if you've got an existing Intel CPU on LGA 1700, you should be good to go for these new chips, too.

Well, there you have it - the best prices for Intel's all-new Core Ultra Series 2 processors and a little advice too. Let us know if you spot one of these CPUs for a lower price, and stay tuned to @dealsfoundry on Twitter for more PC deals as we find them.