This too: Price increases for CPUs loom

Kevin Hofer

26.3.2026

Translation: machine translated

Memory chips are followed by processors: PC and server manufacturers are struggling with a worsening supply crisis for CPUs from Intel and AMD. Delivery times are exploding, prices are rising - and there is no end in sight.

As Nikkei Asia reports, a noticeable gap between required and available CPU quantities became apparent at large PC manufacturers such as HP and Dell at the end of February. Since then, the situation has deteriorated further.

The average delivery time for a processor has risen from one to two weeks in the past to eight to twelve weeks now - in extreme cases even up to six months. At the same time, prices have risen by an average of ten to 15 per cent, with Intel and AMD announcing further price increases for all CPU series from March and April respectively. From April to June, the tense situation is set to worsen, which is likely to lead to even higher prices.

The AI boom is said to be to blame

The crisis is being driven by the unbridled hunger for AI computing power. Production capacities and materials are increasingly being reserved for AI chip giants such as Nvidia, Broadcom, Google and Amazon. What's more, the boom in AI data centres is also driving up demand for conventional servers - and they all need CPUs. According to an analyst from Counterpoint Research, the market for servers is growing by almost 15 per cent this year, while Intel can only expand its capacity by single digits.

Arm chips are gaining ground

The shortage of x86 processors - the architecture behind all Intel and AMD CPUs - is playing into the hands of the competition. The British chip IP supplier Arm is benefiting: According to Asus, the world's fifth-largest PC manufacturer, around 30 per cent of the company's Copilot PCs already run on Arm-based processors, up from around 20 per cent at the end of last year. Arm is also gaining weight in the server market - most recently with Nvidia's new Vera server CPU and a surprising move by Arm itself: The group is launching its own server CPU product on the market for the first time, putting it in direct competition with its previous licencees.

It is unclear if and when the situation will ease. Both Intel and AMD are struggling with structural hurdles. Intel is trying to increase the capacity utilisation of its own production facilities and is also experiencing bottlenecks in chip substrates, carrier materials and chip connectors. AMD, which has its chips manufactured exclusively by TSMC and Samsung, has to assert itself against AI heavyweights such as Nvidia and Google. Until real relief comes, PC and server buyers can expect longer waiting times and higher prices.

So far no price increases at Digitec Galaxus

As an end customer in our shop, you won't notice anything at the moment. Prices are stable. Yet. Price increases have already been announced. Astonishingly, Intel has only just released the new Core Ultra 200 processors at a relatively low price . It's not likely to stay that way for long.

Kevin Hofer

Senior Editor

kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.ch

From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.

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