Memory shortage to make PC builds more expensive in 2026 — old stockpiles curb the rise

PC manufacturers are leaning on existing inventories, which is why price increases for laptops have so far been less pronounced than those for DRAM. However, ZDNet Korea — citing an anonymous source — reports that major vendors are losing money by keeping prices at current levels.

The source says:

The root cause is that DRAM suppliers like Samsung and SK Hynix are reallocating a large share of memory toward AI-focused products (HBM, LPDDR). Securing memory for consumer devices now requires paying a premium. Even when buyers are willing to pay more, DRAM manufacturers are prioritizing profitability and diverting most of their output to the AI market.

Upcoming systems built on Intel’s Panther Lake and AMD’s Gorgon Point APUs are expected to carry significantly higher price tags, and the memory shortage is likely to persist — pushing up the cost of building PCs in 2026.

Source: iXBT.games