Processor shortage to become acute in the coming months
AMD and Intel are apparently shifting their production to server CPUs. Price increases are looming for desktop PCs and notebooks.
The Ryzen 7 9850X3D as a high-end model should remain available.
(Image: Andreas Wodrich / heise medien)
PC and notebook buyers face further trouble. The ongoing memory crisis may be followed by a shortage of processors, reports the news agency Nikkei Asia. Both AMD and Intel are apparently concentrating on server processors, including for AI data centers. In mid-February, the market observer Mercury Research already announced that Intel was switching production lines for notebook and desktop processors to server models. AMD's focus on servers is obvious: the manufacturer has so far only shown Epyc models from the next CPU generation with Zen 6 architecture.
Asian media recently reported 10 percent price increases for Intel processors. AMD will follow suit in the coming weeks; 10 to 15 percent are in the talks. Intel is not even denying the price adjustments. In a statement to Nikkei, a spokesperson confirmed that Intel had "informed customers of planned pricing updates on select products, reflecting sustained demand, increased component and material costs, and evolving market dynamics." Intel's global supply chain chief Dave Guzzi also recently admitted in an interview with CRN that processor shortages exist "across the board."
Availability Problems
However, rising costs are not the biggest problem for PC and notebook manufacturers. General availability will become particularly problematic in spring and summer. Delivery times to manufacturers have reportedly already increased from one to two weeks to eight to 12 weeks. In exceptional cases, they are said to be already half a year long.
In particular, low-margin entry-level and mid-range processors could become scarce in the coming months. AMD and Intel are apparently focusing on high-end CPUs in the retail business. AMD recently announced the desktop top model Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 for the end of April, but has not yet announced a price—a bad sign. At least: Intel recently refreshed its desktop mid-range with a particularly good price-performance ratio.
Intel and AMD have prioritized the production of server CPUs, a manager at a PC manufacturer told Nikkei. As a result, the supply for PCs has decreased. The available quantities are far below the volume of the quarter. "What we worry about is that even if we pay more we still cannot get more. The CPU shortage is getting more serious day by day, no less than the memory chip situation."
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Prices are already rising in some cases
Lately, some processors have already become more expensive. This is particularly evident with AMD's older Ryzen 5000 models for the AM4 platform, which have so far served as entry-level class. The previously particularly inexpensive Ryzen 5 5600 (starting from 111,75 €) cost less than 80 euros at times and has since increased by about 40 percent.
The current situation is an opportunity for Qualcomm. Notebook manufacturers are apparently willing to give Snapdragon processors with ARM architecture more of a chance if the company can deliver more than AMD and Intel.
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