05.11.2025
The market for Intel embedded CPUs (e.g. Elkhart Lake, Tiger Lake, Alder Lake, Raptor Lake) is currently suffering from considerable supply problems. According to Intel itself, production and capacity have become tighter, while demand is increasing and price increases are unavoidable: "the company has experienced numerous bottlenecks in its own production capacity and substrate shortages". - tomshardware.com. Intel is therefore prioritizing the supply of server and data center processors, pushing older client and embedded chips to the second tier, with rising prices for previous generations. Industry reports also confirm shortages of special embedded models such as the Intel Elkhart Lake J6412, which is often used in IoT and industrial environments.
One reason for the problems is the long product cycles of classic embedded CPUs. These chips are often manufactured in an unchanged form for many years. As Intel is increasingly relying on new production processes (most recently Intel 7/10nm) and more modern nodes, the older lines remain limited. The manufacturer expects products based on 10nm/Intel 7 (Sapphire Rapids, Raptor Lake, etc.) to remain in short supply until 2026. Embedded systems that rely on components with long-term stability are feeling the effects of this shortage particularly keenly. In addition, there is still a shortage of materials, and there is often a lack of special packaging substrates for the assembly of 10nm chips.
Overall, all of these factors are leading to a shortage of numerous embedded CPUs: many common types are difficult to deliver or only available with very long delivery times (from 26 weeks). IT distributors are reporting ongoing shortages of Intel models such as Elkhart Lake and the small Alder Lake cores (N series). Now that Intel is supplying its latest server and AI CPUs first, stocks for other series are continuing to fall. As a result, prices for older Intel CPUs are rising and availability is shrinking.
Parallel to the CPU problem, a radical change in the RAM market is causing additional costs. DDR4 is increasingly becoming a scarce commodity! The major memory manufacturers (Samsung, Micron, SK Hynix) have already announced the end of DDR4 production - officially, the last deliveries are to be made by December 2025. Industry customers are therefore already seeing sharply rising prices, according to their own experience and also several specialist sources, DDR4 prices have already skyrocketed by 50% to sometimes 100% since the middle of the year (2025). Source: assured-systems.com
The reason is clear: while DDR5 is increasingly becoming the standard, the supply of DDR4 bars is decreasing. Even Intel expects that DDR4 will soon be replaced by new standards. In practice, however, this means that industrial systems, which are often designed for many years of DDR4 use, have to contend with severely limited availability.
At the same time, most industrial PCs cannot simply upgrade to DDR5. DDR4 and DDR5 use different connectors and require different CPUs/motherboards (which brings us back to the CPU issue). Compatibility reasons prevent short-term changes here. The Contec team writes: "Most systems cannot simply switch to DDR5". This exacerbates the situation: as long as DDR4 is available, industrial customers must use it, regardless of the conditions. In summary, it can be said that the dwindling supply of DDR4 and the economic trend towards DDR5 is leading to rising memory prices and supply bottlenecks for existing devices.
We are responding proactively to market changes and strengthening our procurement and development strategy. The most important measures:
Early pre-ordering:
We reserve critical CPUs and memory modules with our suppliers for the long term. We secure quotas for our customers through forward-looking forecasts and bulk orders.
Multiple suppliers:
By using alternative sources, we reduce default risks in the event of bottlenecks and try to meet demand in the best possible way.
technology alternatives:
At the same time, we are testing replacement platforms, for example with ARM or AMD processors. This enables us to offer alternative systems in the event of permanent Intel bottlenecks. As we already offer several devices with these processors, we know the quality and can rely on it.
Securing stock levels via partners:
Our long-standing distribution partners help us to secure fixed quantities. We optimize our stock levels through close cooperation and planning. Industry insiders regularly recommend just-in-case strategies in order to be prepared for emergencies. We also try to take precautions and maintain stock levels.
Medium-term product development:
In the long term, we are pushing ahead with the switch to new platforms. We are currently developing successor products with DDR5 support and modernized chipsets. The aim is to expand our product range in such a way that future bottlenecks are mitigated.
With these strategies, we strengthen our ability to deliver and remain your usual reliable partner even in difficult times. Through active risk management and close customer support, we ensure that your projects can continue to run as smoothly as possible. Despite all this, we will not be able to avoid price increases.
The following spo-comm products are currently affected by the shortages:
Delivery bottlenecks and delays may occur with these models in the short term. In the medium term, we are planning successor models and new platforms. We are working at full speed to test the next generation of some Mini PCs and add them to our portfolio so that we can continue to meet our customers' requirements.
Of course, the current problem has not gone unnoticed in our portfolio either, which is why we are forced to implement a price increase of 5-10% depending on the Mini-PC model affected. The new prices will apply from 01.01.2026 for products for which there are currently not enough CPUs or DDR4 memory available.
We therefore recommend that our customers secure their Mini PCs before the end of the year at the old and usual conditions! Only while stocks last.
If you have any questions about the price increases or the affected products, our sales team will be happy to help. Our employees will advise you on the problem and help you find a solution!
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