The Memory Crisis Hitting Gaming PCs
If you are thinking about upgrading your gaming PC or buying a new rig soon, there is some important news you should know. Several big names in the PC world are being forced to change how they sell memory and how they price complete systems because of a serious memory supply crunch.
Framework, the company known for its modular and repairable laptops, and Cyberpower, one of the best known custom gaming PC builders, are both reacting to the same problem. Memory prices are climbing fast, supply is tight, and the impact is now hitting regular gamers in the wallet.
This is not just a small bump in prices. It is a sign that the PC hardware market is going to be unpredictable for a while, especially for RAM and SSDs.
What Framework and Cyberpower Are Changing
Framework has announced that it is delisting standalone memory modules from its online marketplace. That means you can no longer just buy RAM from Framework on its own.
The company explains that the memory market is in a bad place. While Framework has not yet increased its memory prices, it has pulled standalone RAM to prevent scalpers from snapping up stock and to make sure there is enough memory for people buying its DIY Edition laptops.
In a follow up message, Framework also warned that its own costs from suppliers are going up substantially. Because of that, it expects to raise memory prices soon. So even if you buy memory as part of a Framework laptop, you should not expect current pricing to last.
Cyberpower is making a different kind of move but for the same reason. The company says that global memory prices have surged by around 500 percent and SSD prices by about 100 percent. This huge jump has directly increased the cost of building gaming PCs since early October 2025.
As a result, Cyberpower will increase prices on all its systems starting December 7 2025. If you have been eyeing a prebuilt gaming PC from Cyberpower, that date is now a clear line in the sand. Buy before it if you want to avoid the next round of price rises, or be ready to pay more for the same configurations later on.
These two announcements are early examples of how the memory crunch is spilling over into the wider gaming PC market. They also show how different companies are trying to protect their core products while still surviving the higher component costs.
Why RAM and SSD Prices Are Spiking
The big question is why this is happening at all. The short answer is that the AI boom is consuming an enormous amount of memory, and the rest of the PC industry is feeling the squeeze.
There are two key forces at work:
Massive demand from AI workloads. Modern AI models, data centers, and cloud services need a huge amount of high performance memory and storage. That means a lot more DRAM and NAND is being bought for servers and AI systems instead of consumer PCs.
Panic buying and stockpiling. Once companies and large buyers saw supply tightening and prices rising, many started buying extra memory to build up reserves. That panic buying can make shortages worse and drive prices even higher.
The result is a market where everyday PC builders, gamers, and even big PC brands are competing with massive AI and cloud players for the same memory chips. When supply cannot keep up, prices spike, and consumer hardware gets more expensive.
Analysts following the memory and SSD market expect this situation to drag on. There is no quick fix, because building and bringing new memory production online takes time and huge investment.
How Big PC Brands Are Responding
Not every company is being hit in exactly the same way. Some of the bigger PC manufacturers are a bit more insulated, at least for now, thanks to stockpiles and long term supply contracts.
On a recent earnings call, HP said it expects to hold off on raising PC prices for about six months. However, even HP warned that it will likely have to increase prices after that period. That is another sign that the memory crunch is not going to disappear quickly.
Lenovo has taken a different approach. The company has reportedly stockpiled enough memory to last through all of 2026. Lenovo believes this will give it a significant advantage over competitors, letting it keep shipping systems and control pricing while others struggle with shortages and spikes.
What this all means for gamers and PC builders is that the market will likely be very uneven. Some brands and product lines will stay relatively stable, especially those backed by large stockpiles or favorable contracts. Others will see higher prices, reduced configurations, or limited availability of certain RAM and SSD options.
If you are planning a gaming PC build or upgrade, it is worth paying close attention to memory and storage pricing. Consider these tips:
If you see a reasonably priced RAM or SSD kit that meets your needs, do not assume it will be cheaper later. There is a good chance prices will rise or stock will become patchy.
When buying a prebuilt system, compare different brands. Those with better stock positions might offer more competitive prices for the same specs.
Think carefully about how much RAM and storage you really need. With prices rising, it might make sense to buy the capacity you will realistically use rather than overshooting just in case.
The memory supply crisis is a reminder of how closely connected PC gaming hardware is to the wider tech world. As AI soaks up more resources, gamers are going to feel the impact through higher component costs and shifting system prices. Keeping an eye on these trends can help you time your upgrades and get better value from your next build.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/framework-delists-standalone-memory-to-head-off-scalpers-and-cyberpower-announces-system-price-hikes-as-the-memory-supply-crisis-deepens/
