Amazon CPU sales drop 51% YoY as rising component costs stall PC upgrades
New data tracking CPU sales on Amazon US shows a sharp year-over-year decline in January 2026. According to figures compiled by analyst TechEpiphany, just 26,100 processors were sold during the month. That might not sound terrible on its own, but it represents a steep 51% drop compared to January 2025.

Thatβs a significant contraction for one of the largest online retailers, and it adds to a broader downward trend thatβs been visible in recent months.
At the same time, prices are moving in the opposite direction. The average selling price of CPUs rose from $227 in January 2025 to $305 in January 2026, a jump of roughly 34%. That suggests buyers who are still upgrading may be choosing higher-end chips, or simply paying more across the board.
Despite the slowdown, AMD continues to lead by a wide margin. The company reportedly sold 23,050 Ryzen CPUs in January, accounting for more than 88% of total units. Revenue share was nearly identical. Intel, by comparison, moved just 3,050 units.
Whatβs interesting is where demand seems concentrated. AMDβs newer Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series performed well, but older Zen 4 (Ryzen 7000) and even Zen 3 (Ryzen 5000) chips continue to sell in meaningful numbers.

Building or upgrading a PC right now means paying more for nearly every major component. Memory prices have climbed noticeably in recent months, affecting both DDR4 and DDR5 kits. SSD pricing has also increased. Graphics cards havenβt helped the situation either. Even mid-range options have seen pricing pressure.
When RAM, storage, and GPUs all cost more, the appeal of upgrading βjust the CPUβ weakens. Most enthusiasts donβt upgrade in isolation; itβs usually part of a broader platform refresh. And right now, that refresh isnβt cheap.
Between higher component costs, platform transition expenses, and general economic caution, many consumers seem comfortable holding onto existing systems a little longer.
Donβt miss a thing! Join our Telegram community for instant updates and grab our free daily newsletter for the best tech stories!
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
The post Amazon CPU sales drop 51% YoY as rising component costs stall PC upgrades appeared first on Gizmochina.











