AMD just blinked. With Intel’s Core Ultra 5 250K Plus hitting shelves on March 26 at $199, AMD has quietly dropped the Ryzen 5 9600X to just $182 — its lowest price ever — in a clear bid to stay competitive in the mid-range CPU market.
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Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus: Head-to-Head
| Metric | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Current Price | $182 | $199 |
| Cores / Threads | 6C / 12T | 6P + 12E / 18T |
| Architecture | Zen 5 | Arrow Lake Refresh |
| Cinebench 2026 Multi | Baseline | Up to 85% faster |
| Blender Render | Baseline | Up to 86% faster |
| Gaming (avg) | Generally faster | Mixed — up to 19% slower in some titles |
| TDP | 65W | 125W |
| Socket | AM5 | LGA1851 |
| Platform Longevity | Zen 6 support confirmed | Uncertain |
Why AMD Dropped the Price
Intel’s own slide deck claims up to 85% higher Blender performance and up to 89% higher Cinebench 2026 multithread performance for the 250K Plus versus the 9600X — numbers that would have made the 9600X a tough sell at $199. By dropping to $182, AMD keeps a $17 price advantage going into the Intel launch day, making the value-per-dollar argument harder for buyers to ignore. Intel’s new processors hit store shelves March 26, making the timing of AMD’s cut no coincidence.
Gaming: Still AMD’s Turf
Here’s where it gets interesting. In Rainbow Six Siege, the 9600X was 19% faster than the 250K Plus. In ACC, the 9600X was around 17% faster with medium settings and 22% faster with Epic settings. Intel’s E-core heavy architecture dominates productivity and rendering, but for pure gaming — especially in CPU-sensitive titles — the Ryzen 5 9600X still punches above its weight. Add in a confirmed Socket AM5 lifespan stretching into Zen 6, and the platform longevity argument is real.
Which One Should You Buy?
If your workload leans toward rendering, video editing, or multithreaded productivity, the 250K Plus is a generational leap for just $17 more. But for a gaming-first build on a tight budget, the 9600X at $182 on AM5 with a future upgrade path is a compelling value proposition. Read our guide to best gaming CPUs and PC components on TechnoSports for more help choosing.
FAQs
What is the current lowest price of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X?
The Ryzen 5 9600X has dropped to $182 — its lowest-ever retail price — right ahead of Intel’s Core Ultra 5 250K Plus launch on March 26.
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X still worth buying over the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus?
For gaming-first builds, yes — the 9600X wins in several titles and offers AM5 platform longevity. For productivity and rendering, the 250K Plus at $199 is the stronger choice.
