Major brands like HP, Dell, ASUS, and others are facing mounting pressure to raise prices as the global memory chip shortage is driving up component costs. A new report suggests that the surge in DRAM and NAND prices is squeezing manufacturers that rely on these components for their PC products.
Memory is a critical component of modern PCs, so the recent shortage is affecting the cost of finished devices.
Why are memory prices suddenly soaring?
The current shortage is mostly caused by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and its infrastructure. Major chipmakers such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have shifted manufacturing capacity towards high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that is used in AI servers. This leaves less memory for traditional DRAM and NAND that is used in consumer-grade products like smartphones, PCs, and other similar gadgets.
Laptop price hikes have already begun
Owing to the ongoing crunch, some companies have already started raising the prices of their PCs:
- ASUS is set to raise laptop prices by 15% to 25%.
- Acer has flagged a potential price hike of around 10% to 20% on certain models.
- HP says it might need to raise the prices.
- Dell and Lenovo reportedly bumped the price tag for higher-end commercial notebooks by up to 20% and 25% earlier this year.
Similarly, even Apple has raised the prices for its latest laptops. The new MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip now starts $200 higher than the previous generation, while the M5 Max variant is seeing a $400 hike.
What’s next?
While brands might be turning towards Chinese manufacturers for memory chips, the rising prices could affect demand. Companies worry that households may delay upgrading their computers if prices climb too quickly. Omdia forecasts the laptop market could fall by up to 12.5% this year. With DRAM prices still on the rise, industry leaders expect the pressure on PC prices to continue well into 2026 and possibly 2027.
