The atmosphere at CES 2026 is electric, a whirlwind of new PC hardware from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. Manufacturers are showcasing impressive laptops and even innovative fanless cooling systems for handhelds. Yet, a strange silence hangs over the show floor – no one is talking about price.
“Have you announced pricing yet?” became a futile question, met with shrugs and averted gazes. It’s unusual for CES, but this year, the PC industry is navigating a uniquely turbulent landscape. The simple act of assigning a value feels impossible when the foundation beneath it is shifting.
The core of the problem is a dramatic surge in RAM prices, reaching levels that feel almost arbitrary. Stores are selling memory at “market price,” treating it like a luxury commodity. This ripple effect extends to SSDs, though less severely, and industry analysts predict a 20 percent increase in overall PC prices throughout the year.
Uncertainty is the prevailing sentiment. No one wants to be the first to commit to a number, fearing being undercut by competitors or blindsided by further market fluctuations. Manufacturers are grappling with how to distribute these rising costs across their product lines, a complex calculation with no easy answers.
The situation echoes a painful experience from last year, when tariffs threw PC pricing into chaos. Companies announced prices prematurely, only to be forced to retract them. Many budget laptops released in 2025 felt compromised, corners cut to compensate for unexpected costs. Manufacturers scrambled to adjust supply chains, shifting production to mitigate the impact.
Adding to the complexity, the US Supreme Court is poised to rule on tariffs this week, a decision that could further destabilize the market. Coupled with a 9 percent decline in the US dollar against other major currencies in 2025, setting prices in dollars has become a precarious undertaking.
The hardware unveiled at CES was conceived in a different era, one of stable memory and storage costs. Had the RAM crisis been foreseen, perhaps Microsoft would have prioritized optimizing Windows 11 for 8GB of RAM instead of mandating 16GB for its Copilot+ PCs. We might also see a resurgence of user-upgradeable RAM in laptops, a feature increasingly relegated to niche products.
Instead, 2025 saw a trend towards soldered, non-upgradeable RAM, exemplified by Intel’s integrated RAM design and the choices of many laptop manufacturers. The future may demand more efficient operating systems, more user-serviceable hardware, and, unfortunately, consistently higher prices.
The very concept of a “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price” feels increasingly outdated. The forces of supply and demand, particularly the insatiable appetite of AI data centers for memory, have shifted priorities. Crucial’s decision to focus solely on data center sales is a stark illustration of this new reality.
Setting a fixed price when manufacturing and import costs are in constant flux seems almost naive. Microsoft’s repeated price increases for Xbox hardware signal a new paradigm – MSRPs that rise over time, driven by a multitude of escalating costs. Even companies like CyberPowerPC have been forced to adjust prices in response to the RAM surge.
Despite the challenging landscape, value remains attainable. While prices are undoubtedly increasing, there are still opportunities to find excellent deals on laptops and pre-built desktops. Patience may be key, but worthwhile machines are still being created.
There’s reason for optimism. The PC industry continues to innovate, even as some players, like Crucial, reassess their involvement. Nvidia remains committed to consumer GPUs, focusing on software advancements like the latest version of DLSS. The spirit of innovation endures, even amidst the uncertainty.
The question of pricing lingers, a shadow over the excitement of CES 2026. Answers remain elusive, but the hope is that clarity will emerge in the coming months. For now, the industry holds its breath, navigating a complex and unpredictable market.
