Notebook prices could be set to soar and no, it's not the Apple MacBook
Neo's fault, but those pesky RAM and CPU price rises again

Date:
Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Description:
Rising RAM prices, CPU cost increases, and tighter chip supply could push mainstream notebook prices nearly 40% higher.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Rising RAM prices are becoming the biggest driver of notebook cost increases Processor price hikes are adding significant pressure to already-strained notebook supply chains AI infrastructure demand is quietly reducing chip availability for entry-level notebooks Notebook prices may increase sharply during the coming quarters as memory and processor costs climb across the global supply chain.

New figures from TrendForce claim the combined effect of rising component prices could push retail notebook prices higher if manufacturers attempt to maintain current profit margins. The report estimates that a mainstream notebook originally selling for around $900 could see price increases of up
to 40% if both processor and memory costs continue to rise. Article continues below You may like Experts warn PC prices could rise even more in 2026 as RAM costs set to soar higher PC sales set for a 2026 downturn as memory demand hits other devices HP says the memory chip crunch isn't going anywhere soon - and also warns of PC sales slump Memory price surge could change notebook prices Under typical conditions, memory components such as RAM and SSD represent roughly a 15% share of a notebooks bill of materials.

After several quarters of price increases, TrendForce claims the share may exceed 30% this year, and manufacturers may have to adjust accordingly.

This means that memory components alone could drive a large price increase because of tightening supply conditions affecting DRAM and NAND flash.

Processor costs are rising alongside memory prices, adding another layer of pressure to notebook manufacturing costs. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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TrendForce's supply chain observations, Intel has already raised prices on certain entry level and older notebook processors by more than 15%.

Additional increases affecting mainstream and higher tier notebook platforms may follow during the next quarters.

Processors already account for one of the largest portions of a notebooks
bill of materials. What to read next Is RAM the new Bitcoin? DDR4 memory prices are rising so fast, some tracker graphs are running out of space - and I fear 2026 could well see a 10x price rise HP admits RAM crisis means memory now consumes 35% of total cost of its PCs Analyst firm warns of
'unprecedented and record-breaking surge' in RAM cost

When both CPUs and RAM rise simultaneously, their combined share of system costs may increase from about 45% to nearly 58%.

These increases could translate into retail prices rising close to 40% if manufacturers and distributors maintain their current margin structures.

Supply volatility may worsen the situation, as demand for AI infrastructure drives manufacturing capacity toward high performance computing processors.

This leaves fewer resources available for lower tier notebook chips, and the shift is beginning to tighten supply for entry level notebook processors.

The effects of component cost increases will not be uniform across the industry. Large manufacturers with long term procurement agreements may
secure better pricing and stable allocations from suppliers.

Smaller vendors may encounter greater cost pressure and shipment uncertainty as supply fluctuates.

Competition between processor vendors is also influencing supply conditions. Notebook manufacturers increasingly rely on both Intel and AMD platforms.

This dependence has gradually increased AMDs share of the notebook processor market.

However, reports indicate shortages in certain entry level AMD platforms, suggesting tighter supply conditions across multiple processor ecosystems.

Rising component costs could affect a wide range of systems, including
premium consumer notebooks and corporate business laptops .

Whether retail prices increase to the full extent projected by TrendForce
will likely depend on how manufacturers absorb costs, negotiate supply contracts, and manage demand.

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