[News] Intel Reportedly Raises CPU Prices; Flagship Xeon Up US$1,495, Select Desktop Chips +US$30–50
Intel has raised prices for a range of its CPUs. According to Tom’s Hardware, the company confirmed on the 3rd that it had increased prices for selected consumer and server processors. An Intel spokesperson said the pricing adjustments reflect current market conditions, including rising supply chain costs and continued strong demand.
Notably, price increases were more significant for Intel’s data center processors. The report says that although high-end Xeon 6 “Granite Rapids” CPUs remain priced below their original 2024 launch levels, they have become considerably more expensive following Intel’s recommended price cuts in 2025, with some models now priced at roughly twice their mid-2025 retail levels. The report also notes that selected Xeon 8000-series “Emerald Rapids” processors now carry higher recommended customer prices than when they were first introduced in late 2023.
Meanwhile, Commercial Times, citing Tom’s Hardware, points out that Intel raised the price of its flagship 128-core Xeon 6980P from US$12,460 to US$13,955, an increase of US$1,495, or about 12%.
Still, as Tom’s Hardware notes, actual prices for data center processors often differ from list prices because they depend on factors such as purchase volumes and strategic relationships between suppliers and customers. As a result, while Intel has clearly raised the recommended customer prices (RCPs) of its Xeon processors, it remains unclear how much the changes will affect the company’s average selling prices (ASPs) for the current quarter and the full year.
Desktop Processor Price Adjustments
For desktop processors, the report says Intel quietly raised the recommended customer prices (RCPs) of its latest Core Ultra 200-series Plus desktop processors, with the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 7 250K Plus seeing increases of US$30–50, depending on the model. Both chips are part of the Arrow Lake family and, like the rest of the lineup, are manufactured by TSMC.
However, the report notes that Intel left the original non-Plus Core Ultra 200-series desktop processors unchanged. The flagship Core Ultra 9 285K continues to carry a US$599 RCP, the same as at its Q2 2024 launch. Likewise, the entry-level Arrow Lake desktop processor, the Core Ultra 5 225, remains priced at US$183–236, slightly below its launch RCP of US$241.
The report points out that if rising supply chain costs were the primary driver, Intel would likely have raised prices across the entire product family. Instead, the selective increases suggest the company is responding to strong demand for specific SKUs.
Looking ahead, CPU prices could continue to rise, with broader implications for the PC market. According to Yicai, market observers expect CPU prices to increase another 8%–10% in the second half. The report also notes that observations at computer stores across China show PC prices from Lenovo, HP, Asus, and Acer have generally increased, with some models rising by more than CNY1,000 (US$140).
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(Photo credit: Intel)
