Intel Shortages Affecting Workstation and Servers

Heads up to those in the market for desktops, laptops, and servers: The great Intel shortage of 2019 is here.

We’re seeing very limited stock for Intel-based computers and servers across all major manufacturers. We’ve heard estimates that availability will be back to normal by Q3 2019. If you purchase a back ordered intel based computer, its estimated to take months to arrive at this point.

Why is this happening?

• Intel had internal manufacturing issues and had to delay its next generation of chip technology to end of 2019. They are now focusing on playing catch up with the current generation.
• Recent tariffs going into effect has increased demand in 2018 Q4, which is affecting supply.
• Intel underestimated the cloud industry’s hardware needs. Behind every cloud product are banks of servers with mostly Intel components.
• Windows 7 is falling out of support in less than a year, which increases demand.

What can you do?

• Go AMD. Intel’s biggest competitor, AMD, has a fair amount of stock to choose from. Your IT company can review if AMD is a fit. They’ll need to confirm your software & peripherals vendors do not require Intel in order to function. We’ve seen a dental software vendor require Intel processors.
• Buy what is left. There are some Intel products in stock. However, expect to pay a small premium for the configurations that are left. For example, Lenovo has touch screen All-In-One workstations in stock. These touch screen models are about $75-$100 more than their out of stock non-touch screen counterparts. For laptops, we’re seeing models with larger drives and higher end CPUs in stock but in low numbers. If you need an Intel computer during the shortage, your best bet is to work with your IT company to find products that are in stock and to accept them quickly.

If you need help purchasing a business-class computer or server, and do not have a reliable IT Company or want a second opinion, please reach out to us.  We’re ready to help. Feel free to call us at (602) 639-9900 or email hello@mypktech.com and we’ll be happy to answer your questions. 

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