Why Laptop Prices Keep Climbing: The Memory Squeeze Behind PC Costs

The laptop memory shortage: why your next PC costs more

The current laptop memory shortage is a global crunch in DRAM and NAND supply that is driving RAM prices rising and inflating PC prices, as AI data centers consume most manufacturing capacity and leave ordinary consumers scrambling for expensive, limited stock.

If your new laptop suddenly costs far more than last year, that is not greedy marketing; it is a structural shock to the parts that matter most. Memory and storage prices have exploded since the second half of 2025, and nearly a year later everything with memory in it—from complete PCs to graphics cards—has spiked, inflating PC prices. Major laptop brands such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo are flagging price hikes of 15% to 30%, while Apple has announced significant increases across its laptops, desktops, and tablets. This is not a short bump; it is the new baseline of PC price increases in 2026. The uncomfortable truth: buyers must adjust expectations, because the cheap, high‑RAM laptop era is over for now.

AI’s hunger and the DRAM/NAND squeeze

At the heart of this crisis is brutal competition for DRAM and NAND. AI‑compute giants now treat memory as strategic fuel. Massive banks of memory are critical to peak AI performance, making memory chips essential to meeting the soaring need for AI power. One analysis projects AI‑centric memory will consume 70% of global memory hardware production this year, starving consumer devices of supply.

To feed that hunger, the few top memory makers are shifting capacity to stacked high‑bandwidth memory and server‑grade DDR5, further cutting supply for everyday PCs. Micron has exited direct‑to‑consumer RAM and signed 16 strategic customer agreements that lock floor and ceiling prices for memory over five years, a clear signal that elevated RAM prices are baked in, not temporary. Meanwhile, the cost per gigabit of GDDR6 and GDDR7 has more than tripled in six months, and NAND wafers have jumped as much as 60% month‑over‑month at one point. In other words, DRAM and NAND costs are not drifting up—they are being yanked upward by AI’s priorities.

From MacBooks to Xbox: how the memory shortage hits your wallet

The memory shortage impact is now visible everywhere consumers look. Laptop makers report that rising component costs directly lift the total price of new systems, and existing inventory that once buffered the shock is running out. Apple initially masked the blow with cheaper, pre‑bought stock, even launching a MacBook Neo at USD 599 (approx. RM2,760), but later raised the base price by USD 100 (approx. RM460) as reality caught up. This is what a structural cost shift looks like: even the best‑positioned brands cannot outrun DRAM and NAND costs forever.

Gaming and consumer electronics are getting hammered too. Everything with embedded memory is more expensive, from graphics cards to consoles. Microsoft reports memory costs have risen by more than 2.5 times this year and could double again by the end of next year, pushing the Xbox Series X to USD 800 (approx. RM3,680) and Series S to USD 500 (approx. RM2,300) from August 1, 2026. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Apple have all raised hardware prices in response. Consumers are not imagining a broad tech inflation; it is the direct spillover of the RAM crisis.

How long will RAM stay expensive—and what relief will look like

Anyone waiting for a quick rebound in RAM prices is likely to be disappointed. Micron hints that today’s skyrocketing RAM prices could remain at or near record highs for years. The company has committed heavily to data‑center customers and says it has no clear visibility on when supply will catch up with demand, even though the industry expects gradual improvement starting in 2028. Another top memory maker forecasts the broader crisis could extend through 2030, underscoring that this is a long cycle, not a seasonal shortage.

Lenovo executives add their own warning: DRAM and NAND memory prices are unlikely to return to pre‑crisis levels, even over roughly the next five years. That might sound alarmist, but it matches the economics. New fabs are being built, yet most planned capacity is reserved for AI workloads locked in via long‑term contracts. Even as more chips appear and the worst supply crunch eases, the floor under RAM prices is rising. In practical terms, “relief” probably means prices stop climbing as fast, not that laptops revert to the bargains of a few years ago.

Smart buying strategies in an age of permanent PC price hikes

If the laptop memory shortage will not vanish soon, the rational move is to change how you buy. First, timing matters. If you know you need a PC or console relatively soon, buy it before the next round of increases; waiting for mythical “Black Friday miracles” in this climate is wishful thinking. The path of PC price increases in 2026 is upward, not flat.

Second, buy smarter across brands and configurations. Compare RAM and storage options aggressively rather than fixating on logos. Paying more upfront for extra RAM or choosing a system with user‑upgradeable slots can be cheaper than replacing the whole laptop later. Finally, look backward as well as forward: last‑generation 2024–2025 models—whether an Apple M4 machine or an early Intel Core Ultra laptop—were often priced before the worst RAM crunch and can deliver plenty of power at a lower cost. In a world where RAM prices rising is the norm, value comes from strategic timing and configuration choices, not chasing the newest badge on the lid.