Just two days ago, we discussed a new round of CPU price increases, with hikes ranging from 5% to 10% for consumer models and 10% to 20% for server CPUs, which was unwelcome news. Now, we’re seeing a clear reflection in retail: Japan is experiencing a significant price increase for AMD Ryzen CPUs, while Intel CPUs remain largely unchanged, and not just by a little, as the figures have skyrocketed.
This snapshot comes from Akihabara, one of the most closely watched PC hardware markets. Price comparisons from the latter half of April show that the impact is not evenly distributed, but, most importantly, the increase in processor costs has exploded.
Price Hikes on CPUs are Now Visible in Japan and Have Critically Affected AMD
Many red-team models show double-digit increases, while for Intel, flat prices or even slight decreases dominate. We cannot explain why Lisa Su’s company is suffering this while Lip-Bu Tan’s is not, but in any case, we must discuss what we will likely see in our country shortly.
The most striking case is the Ryzen 7 9700X. This model appears with a minimum price of 59,800 yen, after increasing by 21,801 yen, a hike of 57.4%, the highest figure on the entire chart. We are talking about a current AM5 CPU model with 8 cores and 16 threads, very common in gaming PCs and general-use PCs, a real sales leader.
The Ryzen 9 9900X also sees a sharp increase, rising to 79,500 yen after adding 21,500 yen, which is equivalent to 37.1% more. In the X3D range, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D climbs to 134,800 yen, with an increase of 22,600 yen and 20.1% more. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the most sought-after CPU globally, also appears heavily impacted: 76,800 yen, with 16,801 yen more than in the previous recording.
The price increase is not limited to the Ryzen 9000 series, confirming that the movement originates from the company and not from individual retailers, wholesalers, or stores. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D, one of the most sought-after processors for gaming, appears at 67,800 yen, with 19,800 yen more and a 41.3% increase. The Ryzen 5 7600 rises to 35,979 yen, with 8,179 yen more and a 29.4% increase. Even models with integrated graphics are on the list: the Ryzen 5 8600G goes for 36,280 yen after an increase of 8,780 yen, a 31.9% rise, while the Ryzen 5 8500G is priced at 28,580 yen, with 6,000 yen more and a 26.6% increase.
AM5 Has Become Very Expensive, and AM4 Is Following a Similar Trend
AM4 is also not spared, making things dramatic for those considering this platform and CPU. The Ryzen 5 5700X rises to 32,800 yen, with 3,000 yen more and a 10.1% increase. The Ryzen 5 5600GT moves to 26,500 yen after a 4,220 yen increase, an 18.9% hike. Other cheaper models show smaller changes: the Ryzen 5 5500 is priced at 17,200 yen, with 1,220 yen more, and the Athlon 3000G even drops by 80 yen, to 5,590 yen.
The comparison with Intel highlights the stark contrast. The Core Ultra 9 285K drops to 95,600 yen, with 1,380 yen less in its minimum price. The Core Ultra 7 265K remains at 47,780 yen, although its average price decreases by 2,496 yen. The Core Ultra 5 245K stays at 34,980 yen, and its average falls by 800 yen. The Core Ultra 7 265F is one of the few that sees an average increase, with 1,562 yen more, but its minimum price remains unchanged.
For now, this data is from stores in Japan, not a global price increase confirmed by AMD at these levels. However, with the market so tense in that country, what is expected, hopefully, are smaller increases. Instead, if this trend replicates outside of Japan, building a PC with AM5 could become significantly more expensive, especially at a time when CPUs were already under pressure from demand for servers, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing capacity.
