Intel announced that it has sold out the stock of processors belonging to the Wildcat Lake line, which are primarily aimed at mid-range notebooks with more sophisticated technical specifications. Interest in this line, introduced as Core Series 3, has grown due to manufacturers' efforts to mitigate rising memory costs.
This situation was addressed by executives during the disclosure of Intel's financial results. Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner stated that the company observed a considerable increase in demand for these chips, intended for notebooks that do not require the most advanced components.
Some models equipped with this chip use only 8 GB of RAM, a configuration aimed at reducing expenses, although it may restrict performance, according to The Verge. Wildcat Lake is the codename for Intel Core Series 3, positioned by the manufacturer as an alternative for mid-range notebooks. They are below the Core Ultra Series 3, aimed at more powerful equipment, and use the Intel 18A manufacturing process. These models have five or six CPU cores, integrated graphics, and an NPU with up to 17 TOPS capacity.
There are notebooks with these processors available in Brazil, such as the Dell XPS 13, whose suggested price is R$ 8,999, and the IdeaPad Slim 3i, starting at R$ 4,399.99. Both contain the Intel Core 5 320.
The increase in demand for mid-range processors occurs in a context of memory shortage that impacts the entire computer sector. When questioned about component supply, Zinsner informed that Intel does not foresee a substantial improvement next year. He added: 'We will have to see in 2028 if things improve, but our expectation is that it will not improve in 2027.'
Memory chip suppliers have indicated that future production capacity is already being traded. SK Hynix, for example, recently announced that it has sold out the lots planned until 2029, and the South Korean company estimates that this imbalance will persist until 2030.
Lip-Bu Tan attributed this scarcity to the high demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, which consumes an increasing share of component production. According to the CEO, the industry is facing 'one of the most significant component shortages in history,' driven by investments in AI infrastructure.



