Regarding what #2 said about "Just catching up on this thread! > If Arrow Lake is two years old", unfortunately, dont expect 40 percent. Recent inventory cycles have been weird... they usually just delist old stock rather than slash prices. That happened with my ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero build. Better to save cash on a Western Digital WD_BLACK 2TB SN850X instead of hoping for miracle CPU discounts, tbh.

Just catching up on this thread! > If Arrow Lake is two years old by then do you think we are talking like a 40 percent discount or is Intel gonna be stingy Love the enthusiasm for this build! Based on historical data from PCPartPicker, a 30-40 percent drop is actually super realistic for that two-year mark. Intel has to compete with the newer stuff by then so they usually get aggressive with pricing to clear inventory. Quick tip: Look for motherboard bundles at big retailers. Usually, you can snag something like the ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi Motherboard paired with a processor for way less than buying them separately during Black Friday. Since you're worried about heat, definitely check out the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 AIO Cooler too. It's a beast for the price and should keep that room from turning into a sauna. Also, keep an eye on the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K 14-Core Desktop Processor if you want to save even more cash for that GPU splurge. Those mid-range chips usually get the steepest cuts!

Honestly you are totally on the right track planning this far ahead! I love the strategy of picking up mature tech because the price-to-performance ratio is always amazing during those two-year cycles. By Black Friday 2026 Arrow Lake is gonna be in that perfect sweet spot where retailers are clearing stock for the newer Nova Lake chips. Based on how I saw the older 12th gen prices tank once their successors hit the two-year mark you are definitely looking at some serious savings! Here is what I am expecting based on my experience tracking these Intel launch cycles:

• The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 20-Core Processor will likely hit around $280-$300 which is a massive steal compared to its launch price.
• Top tier motherboards like the ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi will be way cheaper than launch saving you another hundred bucks easily.
• You will probably find amazing bundles that include the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-6400 for almost nothing. I am super hyped for you because that power efficiency is legit going to save your room from turning into a sauna. If you can snag that Ultra 7 for cheap you will have plenty of leftover cash for something like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR6X or even a 60 series card if the timing works out. Just keep an eye on those price trackers starting in October 2026... the deals usually start early and Intel usually gets aggressive once the new stuff is out.

Saving this whole thread. So much good info here you guys are awesome.

TLDR: Intel usually pulls old stock rather than giving 40 percent discounts. Switch to AMD for better efficiency and price drops. Unfortunately, youre probably gonna be disappointed if youre banking on a massive Intel fire sale. Theyve been pretty stingy lately, often just letting stock dry up or keeping prices high instead of slashing them. I had issues with my last Intel build where the older platform was still way overpriced compared to the performance. If your room is a furnace, honestly consider switching brands because Intels power draw is usually a mess anyway. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 8-Core 16-Thread Desktop Processor is much more efficient and the platform actually stays relevant. Grab a solid board like the ASRock B650 Steel Legend WiFi AM5 Motherboard and youll actually have money left over for a better GPU. Intel just isnt as good as expected for long-term value anymore.