As you may have heard, there is a chip shortage caused by the pandemic that is affecting everything from car manufacturing to appliances. This limited chip availability is also causing quite a stir in the computer mix.
What we have on our hands is a toxic combination. A decrease in workers due to quarantines and quitting, closures of computer manufacturing-related businesses and shipping issues have all contributed to the chip shortage; and the actual production of a high-end PC, which requires dozens of intricate components from a variety of different locations, is no easy feat. There are also more professionals working from home, more students participating in online learning, and the trends in gaming and cryptocurrency – all creating a high demand.
So where does that leave us? While gamers and the cryptocurrency community are getting hit hard with a short supply of gaming consoles and high-end graphic cards; fortunately, CPUs remain accessible and reasonably priced. Additionally, most RAM is manufactured in a pretty old school manner, so while the chip shortage may result in shortages and price hikes for upcoming RAM products, today’s RAM remains in good standing. And there is more good news…Smartphones and tablets remain relatively unscathed by the chip shortage.
What does the future hold? If we start to see some improvement in the supply chain and economy, hopefully we can begin to chip away at the problematic shortage this year!