Intel's entry-level "Wildcat Lake" chip for laptops is facing supply shortages as demand surges.

On Oct. 29, U.S. tech outlet The Verge reported that Intel said on a recent earnings conference call that demand for the chip is exceeding supply and that it is effectively sold out.

Lip-Bu Tan (립부 탄), Intel's chief executive officer, said demand for Wildcat Lake is exceeding supply. David Zinsner (데이비드 진스너), Intel's chief financial officer, also said the chip is currently sold out. Zinsner said Wildcat Lake is seeing "significant growth" and said the product's cost-optimised characteristics align with market demand.

Wildcat Lake is increasingly being installed in low-priced Windows 11 laptops. Demand for relatively cheaper laptops has grown as PC prices rise due to shortages of memory and other components. New models such as Dell's XPS 13 and HP's Omnibook 5 14 are part of the trend. Many of these products often come with 8GB of RAM in exchange for a low starting price. That has been cited as a specification that does not leave much headroom for smooth use of Windows 11 laptops.

Intel expects the memory supply crunch will be difficult to resolve in the short term. Zinsner said, "I am not optimistic about next year," when asked about the memory supply outlook. He added that it may be possible to review whether it improves in 2028, but said he expects conditions will not improve in 2027.

The PC market is facing weakening demand and component shortages at the same time. Tan said the industry is responding to supply shortages and said unprecedented demand for "superintelligence," meaning artificial intelligence, is behind the supply crunch. He said the industry is facing one of the most severe supply shortages in its history.

Even so, Intel sees the possibility of a long-term recovery in the PC market. Zinsner said he expects the PC market will see a renaissance after the current difficulties. Strong sales of Wildcat Lake show demand is shifting to price-competitive entry-level products amid the memory shortage and rising component prices.

Intel's outlook is more moderate than SK Hynix's view that the memory shortage could last until 2030. SK Hynix recently forecast at an earnings announcement that a shortage in memory supply would persist until 2030. Intel also sees it as difficult for memory supply and demand to improve until at least 2027, and constraints are expected to continue for some time on prices and product configurations in the low-priced laptop market.