Below is an overview of how the supply of some key computing components has been affected over the past few months.
Motherboards
As one of the most complex components in any system, the factory lead-time of motherboards has increased the most, with 20 to 30 weeks not uncommon. The cost increase on motherboards has been more moderate than on other components, and sits in the 10-15% range, on average.
DRAM
DDR3 prices are up by around 60% so far this year, with factory lead-times in the region of 8-12 weeks.DDR4 prices are up around 45% in 2021, and factory lead-times are generally around the 6 to 8-week mark, currently.
SSDs
The prices for MLC-based SSDs are rising very quickly, with the cost of some SSDs up over 40% in April alone, and lead-times for this older technology also edging up to around 12 weeks.
Newer TLC-based SSDs are not immune, but price rises have been more moderate, and factory lead-times are closer to the 6 to 8-week range.
CPUs
Intel have been struggling to keep up with demand for the past 2 years, and these problems persist. Compared to other components, prices are relatively stable when sourced through official distribution channels, but lead-times are very unpredictable, with some SKUs taking a few months longer than normal to deliver.
GPUs
Lead-times have gone from <2 weeks to 8+ weeks, and prices have increased by around 25% in the past few months alone. Stock and price visibility is very poor.
Others
Lead-times for pretty much all other electronic components have increased significantly over the past few months too, with the market bidding up prices to try to secure stock. On some specialist or high-demand components, lead-times of over 52 weeks is not uncommon.If one of the off-the-shelf solutions doesn’t meet your needs, then a custom baseboard and/or enclosure may be required.
