Tech is Likely to Get Pricier in 2026
Life is tough at the moment.
The ‘cost of living’ crisis shows no sign of abating, whilst the political divide grows ever wider. You might think that the move into 2026 will make life easier for everyone, but anyone hoping to pick up a gadget or two is likely to be disappointed on that front.
That is thanks to the fact that RAM, once one of the cheapest parts of computers and other forms of tech, is getting more expensive. When the people responsible for making devices have to pay more to do so, you can bet your bottom dollar that the price is going to be passed on to the consumer.
What’s Happened? They Call it Ramageddon
When computers first began being made, one of the cheapest components that you could buy was RAM. The Random Access Memory, which is what the acronym stands for, has long been used for short-term storage in computers and other devices, allowing the processor to access whatever information it needs to run applications and tasks.
It has a volatile nature, which results in all data being lost when a device is powered off or restarted, making it vital for short-term work but not for long-term storage. The cheapness was a big part of its appeal, but that is something that is disappearing.
The growth of data centres needed to power Artificial Intelligence has been such that RAM has been in more demand than ever, on account of the fact that they use a lot of it. Since the October of 2025 until now, for example, the price of RAM has more than doubled.
The imbalance between supply and demand has allowed those that create RAM to charge more for it, which is not ideal when you consider that it is used in everything from mobile phones to laptops, Apple devices through to smart televisions. Such a huge price increase is not good news for consumers, and has been dubbed, Ramageddon.
Passing on the Cost
Although many manufacturers will often choose to swallow the cost of small cost increases themselves, knowing that it will have little to no impact on their bottom line, the reality is that large increases are inevitably passed on to the consumer.
The General Manager of CyberPowerPC, Steve Mason, said that his company has been quoted costs ‘around 500% higher’ than just a few months previously when looking to get hold of RAM. The result of that, in Mason’s words, is that manufacturers will find themselves forced to ‘make decisions about pricing’.
Whilst consumers will also have to make their own decisions about what to do next when it comes to what they choose to buy, the reality is that many forms of tech are considered to be ‘must-haves’ in this day and age.
Tech companies are more than aware of the fact that they have consumers over a barrel when it comes to what they charge people for their goods and services, meaning that they won’t hesitate to push the higher costs for RAM onto those who are going to be buying their devices. The more that demand outstrips supply, the higher the costs are likely to end up going.
Having a Decision to Make: Keep Old Tech or Buy New?
Is Artificial Intelligence really worth it? That is the question that many find themselves asking, given the fact that it is impacting the planet as well as hitting our wallets. Regardless of the position that you find yourself in around the debate, the reality of the matter is that you are soon going to find yourself paying more for tech devices simply because of the demand for RAM that AI is causing.
A laptop that boasts 16GB of RAM, for example, could see its manufacturing costs increase by between £30 and £37, which is something that will then be passed onto the people buying said computer.
@gamerslaststand RAM prices are insane! 200-500% increase?! Memory manufacturers are shifting to AI. Gamers are only 7.5% of their revenue. #PCGaming #TechNews #GPU #RAMageddon #TechIndustry ♬ original sound – GamersLastStand
If you need a laptop with a higher RAM spec, you will obviously see that price go up even further. It means that people will be forced to make a decision between spending more money or accepting a lower performance from their devices. Alternatively, if the price makes things simply unaffordable for some, the decision might be to persist with the older devices that they have for a little longer.
In a world where the demand for the latest and greatest tech seems to be virtually all-consuming, it is difficult to envision a scenario in which people choose to just keep their old devices, instead, sucking up the cost of the new ones.