Intel's Desktop CPU Business Faces Headwinds as Customers Favor Raptor Lake Over Newer Lineups
Intel’s desktop CPU business appears to be under growing pressure as the company confirmed that demand for its older Raptor Lake lineup significantly outpaces interest in its latest architectures, Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake. In the company's recent Q1 2025 earnings call, Intel’s Products CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus acknowledged that customers are prioritizing “N-1” and “N-2” products—specifically, the Raptor Lake series—over the firm’s newest offerings.
Holthaus elaborated that macroeconomic uncertainties and newly imposed tariffs have pushed customers and OEMs to favor more affordable options. Raptor Lake CPUs, despite their age and the well-documented stability issues affecting both the 13th and 14th Gen Core processors, continue to be preferred due to their more competitive price points. Holthaus admitted:
"What we're really seeing is much greater demand from our customers for N-1 and N-2 products so that they can continue to deliver system price points that consumers are really demanding."
She added that while Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake processors bring advanced technologies to the table, they also carry a significantly higher cost structure—not just for Intel, but also for system integrators and end users. This pricing mismatch has made newer CPUs less attractive in a market increasingly sensitive to cost.
It is particularly notable that Raptor Lake’s popularity persists despite the instability issues that plagued the series, resulting in performance inconsistencies, random crashes, and degradation—problems that Intel has yet to fully resolve. Nevertheless, the demand has surged to such an extent that Intel reports shortages in its "Intel 7" node, the technology underpinning the Raptor Lake CPUs.
Recent market activity has further illustrated the phenomenon. In Japan, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K sold out rapidly upon release, and similar stockouts have been reported across major U.S. retailers. The backdrop of looming price hikes—spurred by tariff-induced supply chain disruptions—has prompted consumers to rush to secure older, reliable processors like Raptor Lake before costs escalate further.
Ultimately, Intel's current struggles highlight a significant misalignment between its latest technology offerings and market expectations. As Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake struggle to gain traction, Intel’s reliance on previous-generation CPUs is becoming increasingly evident, even as competition from AMD continues to intensify.
Are you considering upgrading your CPU soon, and if so, would you choose Raptor Lake over newer architectures? Share your thoughts with us below!
