Asus’s Price Hike: A Harbinger for the Tech Market?

Asus has announced plans to raise prices on a range of its products starting January 5th. The increase is attributed to the sharply rising costs of RAM and storage, driven by the boom in artificial intelligence demands. Asus follows in the footsteps of Dell, which previously declared price hikes up to 30% on its computers, and Framework, which also increased memory module prices twice and ended sales of individual RAM kits.

According to TrendForce, Asus’s announcement positions it as one of the first consumer and corporate PC manufacturers to officially adjust prices. Analysts warn that the escalating memory costs could adversely impact the PC market. They predict laptop shipments might decrease by 5.4% to 10.1% year-over-year, paralleling IDC’s forecast of a moderate 5% drop or worsening to 9% in global PC shipments.

Initial rumors of memory shortages emerged in mid-2025. At that time, TrendForce predicted DRAM prices would rise by 45% by July, but the reality proved harsher. By early November, DRAM prices had surged by 171% and continue to climb. Meanwhile, NAND memory prices increased by 246% by mid-December. Amid these trends, analysts advise consumers to upgrade RAM or SSDs only if necessary, and otherwise extend the life of existing equipment as much as possible.

Recent market analysis shows other key players like Lenovo have hinted at potential price adjustments, as the industry continues to grapple with high component costs. Furthermore, many PC manufacturers explore innovative strategies such as selling complete computers without pre-installed RAM, allowing users to insert existing modules or seek affordable alternatives themselves. Concurrently, interest has grown in older yet viable platforms. For instance, AMD’s AM4 platform, compatible with DDR4 memory, has sparked renewed interest in processors like Ryzen 7 5800X and 5800XT in light of cost-effective performance solutions.