- Processors can be in line for big price increases
- Rumor has it that Intel and AMD are raising CPU prices due to supply shortages, and it could end up as dire as the RAM situation
- Stock prices are also on the rise, with device makers having to rethink plans – with one handheld even being canned this week due to pricing concerns
If you haven’t heard enough about supply issues and price increases for various PC components, here’s another bit of bad news: CPUs are now apparently in the firing line.
PC Gamer filed a report from Nikkei Asia, which observes that the processor market is suffering “an average price increase of between 10% to 15%,” affecting both server and PC CPUs. This information has been provided by multiple sources, we’re told, all singing the same unwelcome tune.
Nikkei Asia also claims that according to these sources: “Intel and AMD have recently told customers that they will raise the prices of all series of CPUs from March and April respectively.”
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The lead time to ship processors that have been ordered is also increasing, and by a large margin. The wait has increased from a few weeks to a few months or more.
One of the sources is an executive at a gaming PC maker who says CPU supply is expected to thin on the ground in the second quarter of 2026. The CEO said, “Intel and AMD have prioritized capacity for server CPUs, and PC supply has narrowed… What PC gamers can get in Q2 is much less than the amount we got in Q1.”
They added, “What we worry about is that even if we pay more, we still can’t get more. The CPU shortage is becoming more serious day by day, no less than the memory chip situation.”
Analysis: AI once again crushes consumer hopes
If you wanted to make a worrying statement about the situation with CPUs, I don’t think you could get a more ominous statement than the last sentence above. If we’re going to start thinking about comparing processor supply levels to what’s happened to memory chips, then that’s the start of a very dark road that CPUs may be going down. Apparently this is actually already happening and the article cites several sources to this effect.
As you might guess, it’s all about the AI boom. This creates a huge need for computing power, and it is not only about memory and storage for servers, but also processors. This means that the drive for profit leads to CPU makers prioritizing data center sales over consumers, just like with memory, because after all these are business decisions and you go where you can make the most money.
Unfortunately, the inventory crisis is also getting worse. This week we’ve had news that the price of a 1TB external SSD from SanDisk has tripled at the Apple Store (via Gizmodo). And a high-end handheld has been canceled, with Ayaneo shutting down pre-orders for its Next 2 portable gaming device, Kotaku reports. Thanks to the rising costs of storage and RAM, the Next 2 would have cost around $4,000, which is clearly not sustainable. (Perhaps the top-end Strix Halo Ryzen CPU was also a factor here).
Meanwhile, Asus just treated us to a forecast of 25% to 30% price increases for its PCs in Taiwan over the next quarter, and that reality is sure to be widely reflected globally.
It’s a bleak picture that seems to be getting worse. And it’s also very strange that Intel just unveiled a couple of very wallet-friendly consumer CPUs with its Arrow Lake update. How the low prices will work in this climate remains to be seen, although of course so do the stock levels of said processors – they must only be produced in small quantities.
The advice for those considering buying a new CPU for their PC would be to do so now or in the near future, as is the case for those considering buying a laptop.
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