Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus

Name: Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus
Brand: Intel
Rating: 4.4 (14 reviews)

18 cores · 18 threads · up to 5.3 GHz on 1851.

4.4 · 14 votes

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Cores

Threads

Boost

5.3 GHz

L3 cache

30 MB

TDP

125W

Socket

1851

Performance breakdown

Gaming29

Productivity29

Single-core29

Multi-core75

Power efficiency24

Lab scores

Performance score28

Cores18

Threads18

Boost clock (GHz)5.3 GHz

Estimated gaming FPS

Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.

1080p64 fps

1440p51 fps

4K35 fps

Full specifications

Processor & cores

Architecture: Arrow Lake Refresh
Process node: 3 nm
Socket: 1851
Release year: 2026
Total cores: 18
Threads: 18

Clocks & cache

Base clock: 4.2 GHz
Boost clock: 5.3 GHz
L1 cache: 3456 KB
L2 cache: 54 MB
L3 cache: 30 MB

Memory & platform

Memory support: DDR5
Base power (TDP): 125W
PCIe: PCIe 5.0
Launch price: $184

Technologies

Extensions: AES-NI, AVX, VT-x, VT-d, TXT

Community Feedback

What Owners Say

Folks rave about the snappy everyday feel and great gaming speed. The main complaint is the high power draw under load and the motherboard upgrade cost for a new socket.

Pros

Fits modern LGA1851 boards well
Stays cool under heavy workloads
Handles daily tasks without stutter
Great for mid-range gaming builds

Cons

No native efficiency core support
No bundled cooler included
Lacks PCIe 5.0 support

Verdict

Our verdict on the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus

Intel's midrange Arrow Lake Refresh chip trades integrated graphics for a lower price, but its real-world performance feels more like a sidegrade than an upgrade.

Get it if you want solid midrange gaming performance on a new socket without paying for integrated graphics you won't use. Skip it if you need heavy multitasking or productivity grunt, or if you're building on an older, cheaper platform.