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Laptops are the next consumer devices after smartphones to feel the impact of rising memory and CPU costs. <\/p>\n
According to market research firm TrendForce, supplies of laptop DRAM and NAND flash have tightened since the start of the year. Consecutive quarters of memory price increases<\/b> have already pushed the bill of materials (BOM) cost of the notebooks up by 15% to 30%. On its own, this could force laptop manufacturers to raise the prices of mainstream models by as much as 30% to maintain profit margins.<\/p>\n
The situation is further complicated by rising CPU costs. TrendForce noted that Intel has already increased prices<\/b> for some entry-level<\/b> and<\/b> older-generation laptop chips<\/b> by more than 15%. The chipmaker is also reportedly planning additional price hikes for the mainstream and mid-to-high-end processors in the second quarter of this year.<\/p>\n
When both memory and CPU price increases are factored in, the combined BOM costs for laptops could rise from around 45% to 58%. If manufacturers were to pass these costs on to consumers, retail prices of laptops could spike as much as 40%<\/b><\/p>\n
Not all laptop manufacturers will be affected equally. Tier-one brands like Apple could be better positioned to weather the situation, thanks to their long-term supplier partnerships, stronger negotiating power, and larger component order volumes. <\/p>\n
Source: TrendForce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n