Starting in October, Intel is reportedly planning another price increase for its processors, with costs rising by up to 10 percent. This follows a trend of price adjustments that began in late 2025, including a similar 10 percent hike in the first quarter of 2026 and summer updates for models like the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and Core Ultra 7 270K Plus.
The company is also shifting its business strategy to prioritize high-margin products over total sales volume. This change aims to increase profitability per unit, which may lead to the discontinuation of certain low-margin Small Core processors. These affected models are primarily specialized components for industrial computers, IoT devices, and embedded systems.
While retail prices for chips like the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus have occasionally dropped below $200 during promotional events, the new pricing strategy could reduce the frequency of such aggressive discounts. Although the exact list of processors affected by the upcoming October price hike remains undisclosed, analysts expect the changes to impact the Core Ultra desktop and laptop families.
