Amidst the shortage of 14nm Intel processors, major hardware retailers around the U.S. have bumped the Intel Core i7-8700K's price significantly to $400.
When the Intel Core i7-8700K first came out a little over a year ago, you could find the processor for $359 - $370, depending on where you lived. However, those days are long gone. With the recent shortage of Intel processors, specifically those that are produced under the 14nm manufacturing process, the Intel Core i7-8700K's price tag has gone up to $400.
The Core i5-8400 is another processor that has suffered the same fate as the Core i7-8700K. Retailers have upped the price for the Core i5-8400 from $182 to $225, which represents a 23.6 percent increase.
In response to the shortage of 14nm processors, Intel has delegated some of its 14nm product testing responsibilities to its manufacturing facility in Vietnam. The chipmaker recently revealed its plan to inject $1 billion into its 14nm manufacturing sites in Oregon, Arizona, Ireland and Israel to expand their production capacities.
To Buy or Not to Buy?
So, the million-dollar question is: If you're on the market for a Core i7-8700K, should you pull the trigger now? Well, it depends on how bad you want it. If you want to play the waiting game, Intel's 14nm processor shortage could last until the second half of 2019, according to Martin Wong, president and CEO of ODM Compal Electronics. In the meantime, the Core i7-8700K's price will likely continue to rise. However, there are other viable options if you're willing to switch over to the red team.
AMD Alternatives
The Ryzen 7 2700X is the Core i7-8700K's closest rival. Unlike the Core i7-8700K, the Ryzen 7 2700X's pricing has remained pretty stable, and the octa-core processor is currently available for $300. If productivity is your priority and you can settle for a slightly less gaming performance, the Ryzen 7 2700X is a good candidate for an upgrade or a new build.
Alternatively, the first generation Threadripper 1920X now has a suggested retail price of $400 and is selling on NextWarehouse for $413.72, putting it in the price range of the Core i7-8700K. The Threadripper 1920X gives you twice as much cores and threads as the Core i7-8700K, quad-channel memory support and 64 PCIe lanes. The drawbacks are that X399 motherboards aren't known for being cheap, and with the current prices for memory, you might think twice before buying a quad-channel memory kit.
