PC gamers may soon face higher hardware costs as CPU prices are expected to rise again in 2026. Reports suggest that increasing demand for AI infrastructure is tightening semiconductor supply, pushing manufacturers like Intel to consider another round of price hikes—potentially raising CPU costs by up to 30% compared to 2025.

The surge in AI workloads, both in data centers and consumer devices, is a key driver. As more users adopt AI-powered tools locally, demand for high-performance CPUs continues to grow. This shift is putting pressure on supply chains and contributing to rising component costs across the industry.