According to the ChannelGate monitoring network, CPU prices suddenly spiked at the start of November. Traders in Hong Kong reportedly pushed costs up sharply, with the increases described as “very large.” The move blindsided the DIY channel, which had barely recovered from the last round of price tweaks.

For Chipzilla, the damage is spread across most of its Raptor Lake and older models, with the tray and bulk markets seeing jumps of around 10 per cent. The newer Core Ultra 200 series, also known as Arrow Lake, appears to have escaped the chaos for now.

AMD is suffering from the same price fever. Its Ryzen 5000 chips have risen between 5 and 20 US dollars (around €4.60–€18.40), apparently thanks to component shortages and shrinking supply chains. Several major distributors have reportedly frozen shipments until pricing stabilises, which in corporate speak means “get ready for it to cost more next week.”

The Ryzen 9000 range is supposedly safe, with AMD determined to keep pricing stable to protect its shiny new AM5 platform. But the older Ryzen 7000 series is another story. Early Black Friday deals have already been wiped out by sudden price hikes, with CPUs like the 7600X climbing roughly 10 per cent in a week.

The causes of this latest spike are as clear as mud. Channel sources mutter vaguely about “AI industry demand” and “other factors,” which is another way of saying “we don’t actually know.” What is certain is that supplies are tightening, and those building or upgrading PCs are now stuck paying more for ageing hardware.

Chipzilla and AMD are pretending this is normal market behaviour, though insiders hint that production cuts and logistics snarls are part of the story. Basically, the supply chain is still a mess, and the big players are happy to pass the bill down the line.

If you were thinking about buying a processor, now might be the time. Next month’s prices could make these look like clearance deals.