Intel Will Reportedly Increase CPU Prices by 10% Next Month

If you're waiting for PC prices to drop, you may be in for a long wait. According to a new report from Chinese outlet Digitimes, Intel is set to raise its CPU prices for the third time this year. After increasing prices by 10% in Q1 2026 and by an unknown margin in July, the company is reportedly set to impose another 10% price hike on Oct. 5. Citing industry sources, Digitimes reports that Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is conducting a comprehensive review of CPU prices, gross profit, and manufacturing costs amid a global memory crisis and rising demand for some specific processors. As part of the plans, Tan may also consider discontinuing some low-margin product lines and letting go of a few more employees, the report adds. Intel's headcount has been dropping steadily since 2024. The company cut 15,000 jobs that year and reduced its global workforce by another 15% the following year. A few more employees were laid off in July, and Intel is now planning to cut 5-10% more jobs soon, Digitimes says. The company is estimated to have about 75,000 employees. Qualcomm imposed a similar price hike on Sept. 1. Microsoft, too, is reportedly considering a price hike for Windows licensing fees. Whether PC manufactures absorb the rising costs or pass them on to consumers remains to be seen. According to June data from IDC, PC shipments are expected to decline by 11.3% this year, with Q4 projected to decline by 20% year-over-year. A recent survey by PCMag's parent company, Ziff Davis, also found that 73% respondents were willing to hold on to their old devices for as long as they worked.