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In case you’ve missed it, it’s AI’s world, and we’re all just living in it. The push for increased cloud computing across the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini means more data centers are needed for things like “rewrite my email so I sound less mad” prompts, and that’s having a major knock-on effect for the rest of the computing industry.
Those data centers need DRAM and NAND storage (that’s RAM and SSD storage), and the demand has seen prices for both skyrocket - and now component makers are warning consumers it’s going to be a rough few months.
CyberpowerPC and Maingear release statements about RAM pricing
Price Changes Coming December 7th 2025, Due To Market Conditions 🔔‼️ pic.twitter.com/et0HADhc08November 25, 2025
If you thought we were being hyperbolic about snapping up your tech on Black Friday, get a load of what manufacturers are saying. In a new post on X (formerly Twitter), CyberPowerPC has confirmed that "global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%."
In terms of what this will do to the prices of CyberPowerPC products, the company does go into a little more detail in a response to one X user. "You can expect a system with 1TB SSD + 16GB Memory to increase by $80 and a 2TB SSD + 32GB Memory will increase by $160 for the total system cost," the company commented.
This is an issue that hits all manufacturers, though, and Maingear CEO Wallace Santos has spoken with WCCFTech about the problem.
“We've already seen DRAM prices skyrocket due to the shortages and are holding off those price changes for our customers as long as we can," Santos commented. "For consumers that are interested in getting a new PC or upgrading their current system's GPU, SSD or RAM, they should consider shopping now and looking for offerings that have not seen price increases yet. MAINGEAR is offering pre-built units for Black Friday right now that were sheltered from these price increases.”
"I anticipate that the prices will continue to rise and then we will eventually have to increase our lead times as stock and allocation becomes constrained, but we are in constant communication with our vendors and will delay these increases for as long as we possibly can.”
What's happening and what product categories will be affected?
In all honesty, RAM and storage are must-haves for just about anything. As a result, everything from phones to laptops, and desktop PCs and their key components like GPUs are expected to see big price climbs.
This could also have big consequences for gamers in particular. While reports have suggested the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles are in development, this chip demand could see price hikes for existing systems — something Microsoft has had to deal with twice in 2025 already.
That’s to say nothing of the recently-released Nintendo Switch 2, which could also be in line for a price rise.
Don’t wait
It sounds strange to say, but it really is best to get any upgrades to your current setup ordered as soon as you can before prices begin to climb in December.
If you’re looking for a new PC, or even just the parts for one, you’re perhaps more reliant on Black Friday than you would be in any other year. Still, AI is making the world a better place, right?
Shop today's best Black Friday deals
- Black Friday laptop deals
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