CPU shortages loom as PC makers scramble for chips

RAM, storage, graphics cards. All of them are getting harder to find, and, of course, more expensive as the “AI” bubble gobbles up manufacturing capacity. According to a new industry report, processors are next in line. Lead times for CPUs are now stretching out to multiple months, making it harder for manufacturers to finish and sell consumer PCs.

Processors are incredibly expensive to produce compared to their component cost — they’re one of the most complex parts of, well, just about anything.