Intel’s Chipset Shortage could result in Price Hikes for some boards

Recently, Chinese media outlet MyDrivers announced that Intel’s B460 and H410 chipsets are out of stock and could potentially lead to higher prices for motherboards during the first quarter of 2021. 

Now, Intel’s B460 and H410 chipsets might not be far away, contributing to the pain of the continuing shortages of graphics cards and AMD processors. To make matters even worse, PCBs and other electronic components required for the manufacturing motherboards are either out of stock, or prices have risen substantially. 

The motherboard manufacturers received the last round of B460 and H410 shipments this month, according to MyDrivers, and availability is not expected to change in January. The report says that their shipping strategies have been modified by Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI and would increase rates. While the report does not include details, MyDrivers claims that there is an even worse situation for ASRock and Biostar. 

Although chipsets B460 and H410 may be in a bad position, the supply is tolerable for Z490 chipsets. This is because the Z490 is based on the 14nm process node, while the B460 and H410 chipsets are manufactured with the older 22nm process node.

Reportedly, the same methodology also applies to the upcoming Intel 500-series chipsets for Rocket Lake-S. The Z590 chipset is rumoured to be assembled with the 14nm technology, while the 22nm oven produces the B560 and H510 chipsets. Intel likely placed the previous 22nm chipsets on the backburner so that enough inventory could be created for the forthcoming launch of the 500-series motherboard, which is rumoured to take place at CES 2021. It is rumoured that the official Rocket Lake-S launch would follow later in the first quarter. 

The supply for the Z590 chipset would also be limited, but inventory is not at the point of shortage, all of which is common around the launch of a new chipset line. 

However, Intel officially recommended that its motherboard partners order more B460 and H410 chipsets in advance because the supply in the coming months will be very tight. There is no definite timeline for how long the shortage may last, but in the first quarter of 2021, it will endure.