Ongoing component shortages have been driving up prices on everything from RAM to consoles, and CPUs are no stranger to the trend either. We've already seen both AMD and Intel hit consumers with CPU price hikes of up to 15%. Sadly, that wasn't the end of the story, as gamers hoping for cheaper hardware are now facing yet another CPU price hike from Intel.
According to a new report from Chinese outlet Digitimes, Intel is reportedly planning to raise its CPU prices again, with the increase potentially landing as soon as October.
The report doesn't explicitly name which processor families would be affected, nor does it clarify whether the adjustment would apply equally to desktop and mobile CPUs. What is known is that the move is said to be part of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan's push to improve profitability within the company's PC CPU business.
- Read more: Intel confirms new price hike for Core Ultra 200S Plus CPUs, blames rising supply chain costs
- Read more: Intel rumor: Core Ultra 9 290K Plus 'Arrow Lake Refresh' CPU cancelled, 270K and 250K coming
- Read more: Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus 'Arrow Lake Refresh' CPU leaks: 18 cores at 5.3GHz benched
The plans don't stop at price hikes either. Digitimes also reports that Intel may cut another 5 to 10% of its workforce. Intel's headcount has been falling steadily since 2024, when the company cut 15,000 jobs. Current estimates put its workforce at around 75,000, though the same sources suggest Intel may also hire new workers at the same time.
This would be the third round of price increases in less than a year. Intel reportedly raised PC CPU prices by around 10% during the first quarter of 2026, followed by another round in July affecting select consumer and server processors, with adjustments ranging from several dozen dollars to more than $1,000 depending on the processor.
Intel also confirmed higher recommended prices for two refreshed desktop models in July, with the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus rising from $299 to as much as $349, and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus moving from $199 to as much as $229. Team Blue attributed those changes to higher supply chain costs and strong demand.
On the server side, Digitimes flags that Intel is reportedly prioritising its own fab capacity for higher-margin server processors, squeezing available capacity for PC CPUs. Scaling server output faster may mean sending more volume to TSMC, increasing scrutiny on how the 18A process is yielding and how 14A development is progressing.
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The report also claims Intel could place its Small Core line into end-of-life, though that would primarily affect industrial PCs and IoT devices rather than consumer hardware. Intel's reported October increase would arrive just a month after Qualcomm raised its chip prices on September 1.
