Memory used to be the easy part of a PC build, the line item you padded a little to future proof your system. That comfort has vanished. A brutal squeeze in the global memory market is driving up prices for everything from budget laptops to high end workstations, and one of the most consumer friendly brands in the business is now warning that the pain could last for years.
Framework, which built its reputation on repairable laptops and transparent pricing, is being forced into repeated RAM hikes and is openly telling customers that the outlook for relief is bleak. The company’s warnings line up with a broader wave of data showing a “Hyper Bull” phase for memory, with costs spiking, supply constrained, and the entire PC ecosystem scrambling to adapt.
Framework’s sticker shock is a warning sign, not an outlier
When a company like Framework blinks on pricing, I pay attention. In its own guidance on memory pricing, the company explains that it has been absorbing higher component costs for months, but the latest surge in DRAM quotes has forced it to pass more of the bill to buyers. That internal pressure is now visible on store shelves, where configurations that once felt reasonably priced suddenly look like workstation class investments.
The same update describes how the firm is trying to “navigate the volatile silicon market,” spelling out that it is caught between suppliers raising quotes and customers expecting stability. In a follow up note on the same page, Framework points to shortages and price spikes that trail behind earlier chip crunches, and warns that it may need to adjust memory and storage options again before costs decrease in the future. For a brand that built its identity on predictability, that is a stark signal that the ground is still moving underfoot.
Desktop and DDR5 buyers are getting hit hardest
The most dramatic numbers are showing up on desktops and high capacity kits. Reporting on Framework’s modular tower systems notes that the company has raised prices on its Desktop configurations by as much as $460, explicitly blaming a crisis in RAM supply and a rush to build data centers that can feed generative AI and cloud workloads. Those same pressures are rippling into consumer channels, where 64 GB and 128 GB kits that once felt like luxury upgrades are now priced like core system components.
Coverage of the company’s broader desktop portfolio underscores that the hikes are not limited to one SKU. The reports describe how the Computer brand Framework has hiked RAM prices across its Desktop systems and even its Mainframes, turning what used to be a modest add on into an increasingly hefty investment in memory. On the mobile side, a separate analysis of the latest DDR5 kits notes that a fresh Memory shortage has already pushed Framework to raise DDR5 RAM prices again, with a per gigabyte hike that stacks on top of previous “price adjustments.” For anyone speccing a new gaming rig or creator laptop, the message is clear: the biggest jumps are landing where capacity and speed matter most.
Analysts see a “Hyper Bull” memory market with years of strain
Framework’s internal alarms are not happening in a vacuum. Market trackers say the entire DRAM and NAND sector has entered a “Hyper Bull” phase, with one index finding that Memory Prices Soar by 50% in Q4 and the Rally expected to Continue into 2026. That same research describes contract prices for key DRAM products pushing toward a high of $1.00 per Gb, a level that forces every OEM to rethink how much memory it can afford to bundle into mainstream machines.
Industry facing briefings echo that sense of structural tightness. A technical overview titled “RAM Prices Skyrocket: What’s Happening in 2026?” explains that RAM Prices Skyrocket and What is Happening is a mix of surging demand from AI, limited new fab capacity, and manufacturers prioritizing higher margin server parts over consumer DIMMs. For IT buyers planning large deployments, the guidance is blunt: expect sharp swings, sometimes weekly, and budget carefully for purchases with large memory requirements.
Industry leaders warn the crisis is only at the beginning
If anything, some suppliers think the worst is still ahead. A senior executive identified as Team Group GM has publicly argued that The RAM pricing crunch has only just started, warning that The RAM pricing crisis will get worse in 2026 as DRAM and NAND prices double in one month. That kind of move does not just squeeze enthusiasts, it blows up the bill of materials for every OEM that ships millions of laptops and desktops a year, and it makes it harder for smaller brands to secure enough chips at all.
Framework’s own messaging lines up with that grim outlook. In a recent consumer facing update, the company flatly states that the RAM price outlook “continues to get worse” and that this misery could last possibly even years for consumers, noting that Framework just hiked the price of its very popular 128GB configuration. When a vendor that encourages users to bring their own parts is still forced to raise prices on its highest capacity kits, it suggests that even bulk buyers with flexible business models are running out of room to maneuver.
PC makers, retailers, and consumers scramble for workarounds
The fallout is already visible across the PC market. One forecast from IDC warns that average PC prices could jump by up to 8% in 2026 and that the overall market could shrink up to 9% as crushing memory shortages and skyrocketing RAM costs force vendors to cut back. Some system builders are already shipping prebuilts without any memory modules at all, effectively turning RAM into a bring your own accessory just to keep base prices from scaring off buyers.
On the show floor, the confusion is palpable. Reports from CES describe how Skyrocketing RAM prices are confusing the entire industry, with Skyrocketing RAM costs prompting some retailers to sell modules at “market price” that can change day to day. Analysts quoted around the event suggest PC prices could swing by 20 percent in 2026 depending on how memory contracts shake out, leaving both OEMs and consumers guessing about when to commit.
Framework is trying to soften the blow where it can. In a detailed blog post, the company says it has absorbed and continues to absorb memory price hikes, but that its suppliers are likely to continue raising quotes, so it is encouraging buyers to bring their own modules and even check price comparison tools like PCPartPicker for better deals on Framework compatible kits. That kind of advice, essentially telling customers to shop around outside the official store, is unusual for a hardware vendor and underscores how distorted the channel has become.
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