How Will Rising RAM Prices Affect Laptop Companies? (notebookcheck.net)
(Sunday December 28, 2025 @11:34AM (EditorDavid)
from the thanks-for-the-memory dept.)
- Reference: 0180467729
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/12/28/0524219/how-will-rising-ram-prices-affect-laptop-companies
- Source link: https://www.notebookcheck.net/With-memory-prices-expected-to-rise-another-45-in-2026-Lenovo-may-delay-laptop-launches.1192702.0.html
Laptop makers are facing record-setting memory prices next year. The site Notebookcheck catalogs [1]how different companies are responding :
> Sources told [Korean business newspaper] Chosun Biz that some manufacturers have signed preliminary contracts with [2]Samsung , [3]Micron , and SK Hynix. Even so, it won't prevent DDR5 RAM prices from soaring 45% higher by the end of 2026.... Before the memory shortage, PC sales had been on the upswing in part because of forced [4]Windows 11 upgrades . That trend will likely reverse in 2026, as buyers avoid Lenovo laptops and alternatives from its rivals.
>
> Realizing a slowdown in purchases is inevitable, postponed launches are one potential outcome. Other manufacturers, including [5]Dell and [6]Framework have already announced impending price hikes... [The article also cites reports that one laptop manufacturer "plans to raise the prices of high-end models by as much as 30%."] U.S.-based [7]Maingear now encourages customers to mail in their own modules to complete custom builds. Yet, without recycling parts from older systems, that won't result in significant savings for consumers.
[1] https://www.notebookcheck.net/With-memory-prices-expected-to-rise-another-45-in-2026-Lenovo-may-delay-laptop-launches.1192702.0.html
[2] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-extends-DDR4-RAM-production-but-high-memory-prices-and-shortage-likely-to-continue.1192023.0.html
[3] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Crucial-will-honor-RAM-and-SSD-warranty-as-Micron-nixes-renowned-memory-brand-to-chase-AI-profits.1177680.0.html
[4] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Windows-11-upgrade-possible-for-older-models-TPM-2-0-apparently-not-mandatory.1089854.0.html
[5] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-raises-PC-prices-by-up-to-20-as-Lenovo-warns-of-January-hikes-amid-soaring-DRAM-costs.1179336.0.html
[6] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Framework-warns-of-further-laptop-price-increases-as-DDR5-RAM-costs-surge-while-announcing-a-further-price-adjustment-a-week-after-its-last-hike.1192510.0.html
[7] https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program
> Sources told [Korean business newspaper] Chosun Biz that some manufacturers have signed preliminary contracts with [2]Samsung , [3]Micron , and SK Hynix. Even so, it won't prevent DDR5 RAM prices from soaring 45% higher by the end of 2026.... Before the memory shortage, PC sales had been on the upswing in part because of forced [4]Windows 11 upgrades . That trend will likely reverse in 2026, as buyers avoid Lenovo laptops and alternatives from its rivals.
>
> Realizing a slowdown in purchases is inevitable, postponed launches are one potential outcome. Other manufacturers, including [5]Dell and [6]Framework have already announced impending price hikes... [The article also cites reports that one laptop manufacturer "plans to raise the prices of high-end models by as much as 30%."] U.S.-based [7]Maingear now encourages customers to mail in their own modules to complete custom builds. Yet, without recycling parts from older systems, that won't result in significant savings for consumers.
[1] https://www.notebookcheck.net/With-memory-prices-expected-to-rise-another-45-in-2026-Lenovo-may-delay-laptop-launches.1192702.0.html
[2] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-extends-DDR4-RAM-production-but-high-memory-prices-and-shortage-likely-to-continue.1192023.0.html
[3] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Crucial-will-honor-RAM-and-SSD-warranty-as-Micron-nixes-renowned-memory-brand-to-chase-AI-profits.1177680.0.html
[4] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Windows-11-upgrade-possible-for-older-models-TPM-2-0-apparently-not-mandatory.1089854.0.html
[5] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-raises-PC-prices-by-up-to-20-as-Lenovo-warns-of-January-hikes-amid-soaring-DRAM-costs.1179336.0.html
[6] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Framework-warns-of-further-laptop-price-increases-as-DDR5-RAM-costs-surge-while-announcing-a-further-price-adjustment-a-week-after-its-last-hike.1192510.0.html
[7] https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program
DDR4 unaffected (Score:2)
by 0xG ( 712423 )
If you're building your own, you could opt to use DDR4 - but it's not always easy to find.
Yes. (Score:2)
And consumers even more so.
Continued demand and reduced availability results in shortages and higher prices. That means laptop/computer prices go higher with reduced availability.
Duh.