The growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already impacting computer hardware costs, and this trend is expected to continue in 2026.
The key hardware component for the vast requests handled by AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini is Random Access Memory (RAM) or Unified Memory.
The amount of RAM in a computer determines how much a PC can handle at one time, and the CPU-intensive nature of completing AI tasks means it requires more memory to stay fast.
The majority of budget PCs still ship only 8GB RAM, and in rare cases, less.
This, however, is set to change possibly by January 2026.
No longer will a bottom-of-the-range laptop be able to run the complicated AI apps that are becoming commonplace in the daily workflow.
Hardware manufacturers have spotted the boom in this area, which is set to be in even greater demand in the future, and have radically increased the price of RAM. Apple though, seems to be mostly unaffected by this increase.
It’s also a case of many factories simply not being able to meet the demand.
It means that standard desktop/laptop memory is now much more expensive and difficult to source. Companies might pass increased component costs to buyers, leading to higher prices for PCs, laptops, and pre-built systems.
According to resellcalendar.com, RAM prices have risen by 171% in Q3 2025.
In the US, a 2×16 GB DDR5 kit had a median retail price of US$95 on September 1 by October 8, that kit was going for US$132.10.
The US tariffs, especially on China, have not helped matters either.
Get ready to pay more for budget PCs will become far less budget.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.