If you’ve been keeping an eye on laptop prices lately, brace yourself. A new wave of price increases is rolling in, and this time it’s hitting something we haven’t really seen before: the processors inside your laptops and desktops.
Intel and AMD, the two biggest CPU manufacturers in the world, have both announced price increases of up to 15% across their entire processor lines. And I’ve just learned through an Australian distributor that HP is also set to increase its laptop and desktop prices next week.
This is not a drill. Let me break down what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what it means for you as an Aussie consumer.
What’s Actually Happening With CPU Prices?
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, both Intel and AMD have told their customers they’re raising prices across their entire CPU product lines. Multiple sources confirm that:
- CPU prices have already been raised multiple times since the start of 2026
- The average increase is between 10% and 15%, with some products seeing even steeper hikes
- Intel’s increases are effective from late March 2026
- AMD’s widespread increases kick in from April 2026
PCMag reports that in 2026, almost every core PC component is in short supply, and CPUs are now joining that list alongside memory and storage.
The timing could not be worse for anyone planning to buy a new laptop.
Why Are CPUs Getting More Expensive?
The short answer: AI is eating everything.
Chipmakers are shifting their production away from consumer processors and focusing on server-grade CPUs and AI chips. The big tech companies (think Nvidia, Google, Amazon, Meta) are building massive AI data centres and they need a lot of processing power. Chip manufacturers like Intel and TSMC are naturally chasing the bigger profits those companies offer.
As Tom’s Hardware explains, demand for general-purpose server CPUs could increase by nearly 15% in 2026, but Intel’s output capacity is only growing at single-digit rates. AMD is in a similar position, having to compete with Nvidia and Google for manufacturing capacity at TSMC.
The result? Not enough CPUs for the rest of us.
The supply crunch has become very real, very fast:
- Delivery lead times for CPUs have blown out from 1-2 weeks to 8-12 weeks on average
- Some orders are now taking up to six months to fulfil
- Major brands like HP, Dell, and Asus are already reporting a clear mismatch between what they need and what they can actually get
It Comes on Top of the RAM Crisis
If the CPU shortage is the new problem, it’s landing on top of an existing one.
As I covered back in November 2025 and December 2025, memory and storage prices have already been climbing sharply, driven by the same AI demand pulling resources away from the consumer market.
TechRadar now reports that storage prices are also spiralling. HP has acknowledged that memory now accounts for 35% of the total cost of building one of their PCs. That’s a significant chunk.
So to put it plainly, almost every major component in a laptop is going up in price at the same time:
- RAM: prices have been surging since late 2025
- SSDs: following the same upward trend
- CPUs: now joining the party with 10-15% hikes
- GPUs: still expensive and constrained due to AI data centre demand
This is a perfect storm for consumers, unfortunately.
What Does This Mean for Laptop Prices in Australia?
Here’s where it hits home.
I’ve received word through an Australian distributor that HP is increasing its laptop and desktop prices next week. Yes, next week! Whether this is directly tied to the CPU price hikes, or is an extension of the broader price pressures I have been tracking since late last year, the outcome is the same: you’ll pay more for an HP laptop from next week.
Other brands are likely to follow. They have no choice. When your component costs go up 10-15% across the board, you can’t just absorb that and keep prices the same.
According to Benzinga, major brands including HP, Dell, and Asus are already under pressure from these supply constraints, with some now actively investing in Arm-based designs (like Qualcomm Snapdragon processors) to reduce their dependence on Intel and AMD.
Retail consumers may see the full impact on store shelves over the next 4 to 6 weeks as current stock is sold through at existing or slightly higher prices and replaced with pricier new inventory.
How Much More Will You Pay?
It’s hard to give exact figures right now because we’re in the middle of this playing out. But here’s a rough picture:
- A budget to mid-range laptop priced at $1,200 today could realistically cost $1,300 to $1,500 in a couple of months
- A business laptop at $1,800 could jump to $2,000 or more
- Gaming laptops with dedicated GPUs will likely cop it worst, given they already carry premium component costs
These aren’t wild guesses. They’re based on the component cost increases already being reported, the distributor information I’m hearing from inside the industry, and the pattern we saw with RAM prices flowing through to finished products last year.
I predicted price increases in December 2025, and even those predictions have already been surpassed by what we’re seeing on retail shelves as of late March 2026.
The Middle East Conflict Is Adding to the Pressure
The CPU and memory shortage is the primary driver of rising laptop prices right now. But there’s an additional layer of pressure coming from the Middle East that’s worth being aware of.
Following the US-Israeli military strikes on Iran in late February 2026, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to most Western commercial shipping. The strait carries roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil supply. Oil prices surged from around $65 a barrel to above $100 as a result, and major shipping lines including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd suspended operations through the waterway.
What does an oil conflict have to do with your laptop? A few things:
- Higher fuel costs push up the cost of shipping goods from factories in China, Taiwan, and Malaysia to Australia
- Rerouting around Africa adds weeks to delivery times, making stock harder to maintain and supply less predictable
- Disruption to Gulf ports like Dubai’s Jebel Ali, a major transshipment hub for technology heading to Australia, adds further delays and costs
- Broader economic uncertainty tends to make companies build larger price buffers into their retail pricing
None of this is the root cause of the laptop price increases we’re seeing. The AI-driven component shortage is. But the geopolitical situation is an added headwind that makes the overall picture worse, not better.
A Word of Warning: Retailers Will Be Lifting Prices on Existing Stock Too
Here’s something the mainstream tech press won’t tell you, but I will.
When price increases hit the industry, retailers don’t just raise prices on new stock coming in at higher wholesale costs. A lot of them will quietly increase prices on stock they already have sitting in the warehouse – stock they bought at the old, lower prices.
It happens every single time there’s a price rise cycle. I’ve seen it play out over and over in my 25 years in this industry.
It’s not illegal. Retailers are entitled to price their stock however they see fit. But it does mean they’re banking a higher margin on goods they didn’t actually pay more for. Not that I can blame them, as they do operate on very slim margins.
Not every retailer does this, and not every product gets touched. But the majority of stock will be repriced to some degree. The only real question is by how much.
What this means for you as a buyer:
- Prices can go up at any time, not just when a new shipment arrives
- A laptop that was $1,399 yesterday could be $1,449 next week with no change to the product whatsoever
- Comparing prices across retailers right now matters more than ever – some will move faster than others
- Specialist retailers – tend to be more transparent about pricing than the big box stores
If you’ve been watching a specific laptop and the price hasn’t moved yet, that window may not stay open for long.
What Should You Do?
If you need a laptop in the next few months, here’s my no frills advice:
Buy now if you can
Today’s prices are almost certainly better than what’s coming. Current retail stock was purchased before the latest round of CPU price hikes fully flowed through. Once that stock is gone, the new, higher pricing takes over.
Price compare before you buy
With retailers repricing stock at different times, there can be meaningful price differences on the exact same laptop across different stores right now. Use Staticice and Google Shopping to quickly check what a specific model is selling for across multiple retailers before you commit. A five-minute check could save you $100 or more on the same product. This matters more right now than it normally would.
Don’t wait for a “better deal”
The traditional EOFY sales in June/July might not deliver the discounts you’d normally expect. Retailers can’t discount what they’re paying more for.
Consider models with Arm-based processors
Laptops running Qualcomm Snapdragon chips (like the Microsoft Surface and some newer HP and Asus models) won’t be affected by Intel and AMD CPU price increases, at least not for the time being. They’ve also been getting genuinely good performance reviews. Apple’s MacBook range, powered by Apple Silicon, sits in a similar position for the time being.
Avoid waiting on new-release Intel/AMD models
They’ll be launching into a supply-constrained, higher-cost environment. Existing stock, bought before these latest hikes, may actually represent better value.
Talk to your retailer
Ask when they received their current stock. If it’s been sitting in the warehouse since before March 2026, you might be getting it at the old pricing. That won’t last long.
The Bigger Picture
This CPU shortage is being described as “Chip Shortage 2.0” in some financial circles, and that comparison to the 2021-2022 chip crisis is worth paying attention to. That shortage caused laptop prices to spike sharply, took years to resolve, and left a lot of consumers either overpaying or going without.
We’re not necessarily heading into the same scenario, but the signals are pointing in a similar direction. IDC has warned that the PC market could actually shrink by up to 9% in 2026 as consumers baulk at higher prices. That’s a big deal for an industry that was only just recovering.
For Australian buyers specifically, the impact is compounded by our exchange rate. We import all of our technology, which means a weaker Australian dollar amplifies every price increase. It’s not just the component costs going up globally; we’re also exposed to currency movements on top of that.
Final Word
Noone likes writing these kinds of articles. But I’d rather be straight with you than watch you get blindsided at the checkout.
The CPU price hikes from Intel and AMD are real and already in motion. HP is increasing prices in Australia next week. The memory and storage crisis we’ve been tracking since November last year hasn’t resolved. It’s all hitting at once.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop, now is genuinely a better time to buy than waiting.
And if you’re not in a rush? Keep an eye on how this plays out. The Arm-based laptop market is growing fast, and competition from Qualcomm and Apple’s silicon may eventually force Intel and AMD to reconsider their pricing. But that won’t happen overnight.
As always, check out my laptop reviews and buying guides to find the best value available right now, before the next round of price increases hits.
Sources: Nikkei Asia | Yahoo Finance | PCMag | Tom’s Hardware | TechRadar | Benzinga | Invezz | Al Jazeera (Hormuz) | Al Jazeera (Oil prices) | Kpler | Dallas Fed | CNBC | World Economic Forum | Wikipedia – 2026 Hormuz Crisis
