Difficult to follow, Intel's policy today seems to be to focus on new generations of processors. Whatever the cost.
Intel has made no official announcement to this effect, but all indicators point to a recent and significant increase in the price of the American firm's processors. Oh, not all processors, and the latest generation of chips - Arrow Lake - doesn't seem the least bit concerned. On the other hand, for all older-generation processors, things are far less enthusiastic, and it's not just the top-of-the-range models that are affected, as sometimes happens when a generation changes.
Price increases for Intel chips © Guru3D
Relayed by Guru3D, the information actually comes from Japanese and South Korean retailers, who were the first to observe the situation. Over there, we first heard about price increases on the Core i9-13900K, a still very popular chip whose price has risen from 500/550 euros to 650/715 euros, and all this in the space of just a few days. A sudden increase of almost 30% that was followed by inflation on most Intel processors. The Core i5-12400F, for example, has risen by 12% to 177,000 won (around 107 euros), while the price of the Core i3-13400F has risen by a further 14%. Following on from this, the 14th generation chips were hit, with Core i3-14100F up 15% and Core i5-14600KF up 13%.
Initially confined to these Asian countries, the increase is now perceptible in Europe too, and Guru3D takes the example of Germany and Spain here, while pointing out that it is visible in all countries. In Europe, it seems that entry-level processors are more affected than the more muscular models, and we're talking in particular about sharp increases (from 10 to 15%) on chips like the Core i3-12100 and Core i5-13400F. In the absence of any official comment from Intel, we're left to speculate on the whys and wherefores of this increase: on the one hand, some point to Intel's need for liquidity and its focus on the short term, while others speak of a desire to push through the transition to Arrow Lake. To be continued...
