Where are you guys seeing the absolute best deals for the Intel Core Ultra chips for the 2026 holiday sales because I am ready to finally pull the trigger on this build! I’ve been sitting on my old i7 forever and it is literally chugging during 4K renders so I need that upgrade now.

Right now I am torn between just stalking Newegg for those flash sales or making the two hour drive down to Micro Center because I heard they usually have those insane bundle deals where you get the motherboard basically half off but then there is always Amazon with the Prime shipping which makes it so easy if anything arrives dead on arrival. My budget is pretty strict at $2600 for the whole tower and I am really trying to snag the Ultra 7 or maybe even the 9 if the discount is deep enough.

I’m in Ohio so the drive isnt too bad but is it actually worth the gas money compared to what I might find online during Cyber Monday? I keep seeing rumors about some exclusive holiday bundles at Best Buy too but I havent shopped there for parts in years so idk if they are even competitive anymore. Which one should I be refreshing on my phone during Thanksgiving dinner lol?