RAM Price Surge Set to Hike Prebuilt PC Costs
▼ Summary
– Global RAM prices have surged 500% and SSD prices have risen 100%, directly impacting gaming PC manufacturing costs.
– CyberPowerPC will adjust pricing across all systems starting December 7th due to these component price increases.
– Maingear is delaying price increases but anticipates eventually extending lead times as stock becomes constrained.
– The price surge is driven by AI companies buying up RAM and storage for data centers, causing market fluctuations.
– PC manufacturers like Skytech Gaming are also experiencing RAM price increases, though immediate website pricing impacts remain unclear.
A significant surge in the cost of memory components is beginning to impact the pricing of prebuilt desktop computers from major system integrators. CyberPowerPC has officially announced it will adjust prices across its entire product lineup, citing a dramatic 500% increase in global RAM prices and a 100% rise in SSD costs since early October. These components are fundamental to gaming PC assembly, making the overall effect on final consumer pricing unavoidable.
While CyberPowerPC moves forward with new pricing, competitor Maingear is attempting to hold the line for its customers. The company’s CEO, Wallace Santos, acknowledged that rising costs and potential allocation constraints will likely force his company to eventually extend lead times and raise prices. For the moment, however, Maingear is in close contact with its suppliers to delay these increases as long as possible. This market volatility is largely driven by massive purchases from AI companies, which are acquiring enormous quantities of RAM and data storage to fuel their expanding data center operations.
The situation has become so unpredictable that some physical retailers have abandoned fixed pricing, instead selling memory modules at fluctuating market rates, a practice reminiscent of how seafood is priced daily. Despite the current spike, CyberPowerPC anticipates these conditions are temporary, expecting prices to normalize once the market stabilizes. In light of the instability, Santos has suggested that consumers considering a memory or storage upgrade might want to act sooner rather than later. He emphasizes this is not merely a sales tactic for the Black Friday period, but a genuine warning about impending shortages, noting that the PCs his company is selling for the holiday are currently insulated from the recent component price hikes.
Another key player in the custom PC market, Skytech Gaming, has also confirmed on social media that it is experiencing the impact of rising RAM costs. It remains to be seen how quickly these increased component expenses will be reflected on the company’s website and in the final cost to consumers. For anyone planning a new PC purchase, the message is clear: the era of stable, low memory prices is on pause.
(Source: The Verge)