Panther Lake high-end laptops are seeing significant price hikes in the Chinese market, making them less affordable than the Apple MacBook M5 series.
Panther Lake X Series Laptops See a Price Hike of $145-$870 in China, While MacBook M5 Series Laptop Prices Stay Stagnant
The DRAM and SSD shortages have affected a wide range of PC hardware, including pre-built systems, GPUs, and laptops. Even unrelated PC hardware is getting more expensive, including CPUs, and if you have read our recent report on Intel, you can expect a noticeable price increase in Intel CPUs in the following months. Looks like the effect of higher CPU, RAM, and SSD prices is now directly affecting Intel Panther Lake-based laptops.
User @realVictor_M reports that Intel Panther Lake X chip-based laptops are seeing a sharp increase in prices in China. We can't confirm if this is true for other regions, but as per the latest listings, it appears that these laptops have risen by at least 1000 Yuan or US$145 in prices. For instance, the HP Book Pro 16 2026 edition with the Core Ultra X7 358H is got a price hike of 1000 Yuan. The laptop ships with a 32 GB + 1 TB configuration, a 2.5K 240Hz display, and a 70Wh battery. It's a lightweight laptop that was launched for 7999 Yuan, which will now sell for 8999 Yuan (US$1162).
Similarly, some ASUS laptops have also witnessed some significant price changes, including the Zenbook Duo 14 series, which comes in various configurations. The one with Core Ultra X7 358H processor and 32 GB + 1 TB configuration rose from 14,999 Yuan to 18,999 Yuan, bringing a big 4000 Yuan or US$581 price hike. The other model ships with Core Ultra X9 388H, which is now sitting at 22,999 Yuan or US$3341. This is a sharp price hike of 6,000 Yuan or $870, with the same 32 GB + 1 TB configuration.
Surprisingly, the Apple MacBook Air M5 series laptops remain largely unaffected. Both the 13 and 15-inch notebooks saw no price changes and will cost 8,499 Yuan and 9,999 Yuan for 16 GB + 512 GB configurations, respectively. Now, as we see a drastic price increase for Intel laptops, it's expected that the CPUs may continue to drive the laptop prices even higher as Intel is expected to raise the prices even further in the coming months.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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