Need a new laptop? You might want to buy now, as Asus just warned that prices could soon jump by up to 30%

Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:39:40 +0000

Description:
Don't hang around if you need a new PC, as the latest doom nugget regarding laptop price hikes is gloomier than ever.

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 daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox 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
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successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter An Asus exec has warned of big price hikes for
PCs Prices could rise by 25% to 30% in the second quarter in Taiwan, we're told This is likely to be reflected globally, and with other increasingly gloomy predictions hanging over the PC industry, it would seem the time to
buy is now Asus has warned that its laptops are going to get a lot more expensive in Taiwan, and while this doesn't necessarily apply globally, you can bet it's reflective of the situation worldwide and the scale of the increase is seriously worrying.

As reported by UDN in Taiwan ( flagged by VideoCardz ), Asus said that PC prices in the country are going to rise by 25% to 30% in the second quarter
of this year on average (with varying increases depending on the exact model, of course). This prediction came direct from Liao Yi-hsiang, who is General Manager of Asus United Technology Systems Business, during an interview conducted after a press conference for a new Zenbook laptop. 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 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

The Asus exec made it clear that double-digit price increases would apply to all PC makers, as they're obviously all suffering from the same RAM and storage pricing headwinds (and the rising costs of other components besides, such as GPUs).

The report further notes that price increases of components "may continue in the second half of the year", and therefore Liao "suggests that consumers who need to upgrade their PCs should buy them as soon as possible". (Note that this is a translation of the article from Chinese, but the gist is pretty clear). Analysis: don't hang around at this point (Image credit: Future) Granted, the report specifically notes that Asus didn't say whether this
price increase would apply globally, but it also didn't say it wouldn't and
I think you can safely draw your own conclusions there. Yes, there will
likely be some regional variability, but Taiwan isn't in a bubble, and warnings of price hikes of nearly a third over the course of the next quarter is a hugely worrying signal of what's to come with the whole of the PC
market.

Meanwhile, we're hearing gloomier forecasts around PC pricing and the latest twists on the RAM crisis on a weekly if not daily basis. Here's another
doom nugget from this week, for example, with memory chip maker Micron
letting us know how bad things have got with supply in no uncertain terms. It's getting dire out there, to the point where hardware is being cancelled witness Kotaku's report about the Ayaneo Next 2 getting canned because the price of the handheld would be around four grand at this point. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox 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.

I'd fully agree with the Asus exec that if you think you'll need a new
desktop PC or laptop in the near future, it makes sense to buy now. These devices will surely only get pricier as 2026 rumbles onwards, with supply difficulties around memory not expected to get any better for a long time. (Indeed, some believe the RAM market won't be back to normal until 2030, and they include another major memory chip maker ).

I think you'll regret waiting, frankly, especially if you can get a good deal on a laptop now, and there are some tempting bargains floating around still. These offers may not be nearly as compelling a few months down the line, because if Asus is right, serious price jumps could be here before we know
it. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4 2. Best budget: Asus Chromebook CM14 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best gaming: Razer Blade 16 5. Best for pros MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro) Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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