'Difficult to survive': RAMaggedon hits Intel as new report says it is jacking CPU prices by 10%

Windows PC makers are struggling through the ongoing RAM crisis, and a new report indicates it's not going to get better, thanks to an integral PC component getting more expensive.

The Korean outlet, ETNews is reporting that Intel will raise the prices of its CPUs by 10%, largely because of skyrocketing RAM prices due to AI greed. The publication says Intel informed its major clients of the price hike today (March 19) with increases expected to hit "most" of the company's CPU lineup.

It's suggested that the move is being made to secure profitability as the supply of consumer devices (ie gaming PCs, laptops, etc) shrinks due to the ever-growing demand of AI data centers.

Beyond RAM prices, Intel is facing stiffer competition from AMD and Intel. While Intel still dominates the CPU market, holding 60% of market share overall, AMD is catching up. According to charts from CPUbenchmark.net, Intel makes up 73% of Windows laptop share, but was surpassed by AMD last year in desktops at 51%.

This year, Qualcomm announced a new Snapdragon X2 Plus CPU that is supposed to be an "epic" upgrade. At CES 2026, AMD claimed its Ryzen AI CPUs are faster and better than Intel's Panther Lake for both gaming and AI.

Intel may be feeling the heat.

'Difficult to survive'

"There are concerns that if Intel CPU prices also rise, operating profits will shrink significantly, making it difficult to survive," an industry insider told ETNews.

Still, any price hike during RAMaggedon is going to adversely affect PC manufacturers who are struggling in the face of new competition from the $599 MacBook Neo and surging RAM prices.

Outside of the Neo, we may be seeing the end of the era of cheap PCs, with no relief insight until 2028, at the earliest. PC makers are trying different things to survive from seeking out smaller memory producers to focusing on premium PCs over budget offerings.

For now, the RAM crisis just keeps claiming victims. Even major companies like Samsung have put its mobile division into "emergency management" mode despite record pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

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