Server CPUs join memory in the supply shortage, pushing up prices

Datacenter servers will face a double whammy this year as CPU supply constraints pile on top of an already severe memory shortage. Even so, shipments are still expected to grow at a double-digit rate.

The latest Cloud and Datacenter Market Snapshot [PDF] from analyst firm Omdia says that server CPUs are also experiencing supply constraints that are likely to see prices rise, with a knock-on effect on overall system costs.

Omdia claims this is at least partly due to the difficulty of shifting production volume across different process nodes. As CPU roadmaps have broadened, vendors are simultaneously manufacturing processors on different process nodes such as 3 nm or 5 nm.

"The nature of processor design and fabrication is such that shifting volume across process nodes is complex and time consuming," the firm says, adding that lower-than-expected yields may have also contributed to the shortage.

The upshot is that Omdia believes ...