2026 Chip Crisis Is Real: Laptop Prices Set to Rise by More Than Rp6 Million

Jakarta — Research firm Trendforce has issued fresh projections on the impact of the ongoing global chip crisis affecting multiple sectors in recent months. Mainstream laptop prices are expected to surge by as much as 40%.

Trendforce notes that the average laptop price currently stands at US$900, equivalent to approximately Rp15 million, based on pricing for devices sold during the first quarter of 2025.

Prior to the RAM crisis, memory components such as DRAM and SSD accounted for 15% of the total bill of materials (BOM) for notebook production. This figure has since jumped to more than 30% within a single year.

Should chip manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) wish to maintain profit margins at the current US$900 price point, they will need to raise prices by 30% compared with the previous year, according to reports published on 13 March 2026.

Intel has already begun raising its product prices. Trendforce reports increases exceeding 15% for certain entry-level CPUs. The American semiconductor manufacturer is expected to implement similar price increases for mid-range and higher-tier computing platforms during the second quarter of this year.

CPUs represent one of the largest cost factors in notebook BOMs. Price increases in CPUs can have a cascading effect, driving up the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to even higher levels.

Furthermore, Trendforce has highlighted the mounting pressure faced by CPU manufacturing operations such as Intel and AMD. Their supply chains have become unstable due to companies prioritising Nvidia’s massive AI business.

With memory and CPU prices rising simultaneously, a 40% increase in laptop prices appears unavoidable. This means average laptop prices could reach US$1,260, or approximately Rp21.3 million—an increase of more than Rp6 million from previous average prices.