Why PC Prices Are Rising in 2026 — RAM, SSD & GPU Shortage Explained (and How to Beat It)
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If you've priced up a gaming PC recently and felt the sticker shock, you're not imagining it. Across 2026, the cost of three core parts — memory (RAM), solid-state storage (SSDs) and graphics cards — has been climbing, and the reason has very little to do with gaming. This guide explains plainly what's driving the rises, what it means for your next PC, and — most importantly — how to beat it so you still get the right machine at the right price.
Updated August 2026 with current UK prices. Despite the component shortage our builds still start from £786, or £939 with a dedicated graphics card — and every one is £100 below our own eBay price. Build yours →
Updated 29 July 2026. The squeeze has tightened again this month. NVIDIA has raised the price of the GPU “kits” it sells to board partners — the graphics chip and its memory together — by a reported 20–30%. That is its third increase of 2026, after roughly 10–15% in January and a high-end-only rise in May, and it means card makers such as ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI are now paying close to a third more per card than they were. AMD has signalled a further 10–15% across the Radeon range in the second half of the year, on top of the ~10% supply increase it applied at the start of July. Samsung is lifting DRAM prices by around 20% for the third quarter. Intel has lifted its latest desktop CPU prices by 10–17%, and NVIDIA’s RTX 50 “Super” refresh remains delayed indefinitely.
The raw numbers behind it are stark: a 32GB DDR5-6000 kit that cost roughly $80–100 in mid-2025 now sits near $400 — four to five times the price in under a year — and a single 3GB GDDR7 memory module costs $60–70, against about $20 for the 2GB modules it replaces. One important caveat: most of these figures are supply prices charged to manufacturers, not shop shelf prices. Retail follows, but with a lag of a few weeks.
Everything below still applies — and the case for locking in a price now is stronger than it was in June. Prices on this page were re-checked on 29 July 2026.
What's Happening to PC Prices in 2026
Since late 2025, component prices have risen sharply and steadily. Memory has been hit hardest: DDR5 RAM kits cost a multiple of what they did a year ago, and high-capacity kits (64GB and 128GB) have seen the steepest jumps. SSDs have followed — the price of a typical 1TB NVMe drive has roughly doubled. Graphics cards have climbed too, with the squeeze worst on cards carrying 16GB or more of video memory.
This isn't a short blip or a single brand putting prices up. Industry analysts expect component costs to stay elevated — and in many cases keep rising — through 2026, with the earliest realistic easing not until late 2027 or 2028. Even Apple raised hardware prices in 2026 citing the same memory market.
Why It's Happening — the AI Memory Shortage
The root cause is artificial intelligence. The world's biggest technology companies are building enormous AI data centres, and those servers are hungry for memory — specifically a type called HBM (High Bandwidth Memory). HBM is made on the same production lines, by the same three manufacturers (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron), as the ordinary memory that goes into PCs.
To chase the higher profits from AI, those makers have shifted their factory capacity toward HBM and enterprise memory. That leaves less DDR5 for desktops, less NAND for SSDs, and less GDDR7 video memory for graphics cards — so prices for all three rise. One gigabyte of HBM uses roughly the factory space of four gigabytes of normal RAM, which is why even a modest shift in AI demand squeezes the consumer market so hard.
The Three Components, at a Glance
| Component | What's happening in 2026 | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (DDR5) | Up sharply on AI data-centre demand; 64GB/128GB kits hit hardest | Likely to keep rising into 2027 |
| SSD (NAND) | Contract prices up steeply; a 1TB NVMe has roughly doubled | Tight supply through 2026 |
| Graphics cards (16GB+) | RTX 50 supply cut; high-VRAM cards scarce and pricier | Elevated into late 2027 |
| Entry GPUs (8GB) | Still near normal pricing — the best value right now | Smart buy-now choice |
What This Means If You're Buying a PC
Two practical takeaways:
- Waiting is unlikely to save you money. Unlike most tech, where prices fall over time, the forecast here is the opposite — the components in your build are more likely to be dearer in six months than cheaper. The PC you price today may cost more later.
- The right specification matters more than ever. Because high-capacity RAM and high-VRAM graphics cards have risen most, choosing sensible, well-matched parts (rather than overspending on capacity you won't use) protects your wallet without costing you real-world performance.
How to Beat the Price Rises
1. Lock in today's price — buy now, not later
The single most effective move is simply to buy before the next increase. Every build in our online PC builder is priced today and built to order in the UK, so you secure current pricing rather than gambling on a market that's trending upward.
2. Choose smart specifications
You don't need the most expensive parts to get a great PC. An RTX 5060 8GB or RTX 3050 still offers strong value because 8GB cards have been least affected by the shortage. Pair it with 16GB or 32GB of RAM — plenty for gaming — rather than paying today's premium for 64GB you may not need. If you do want more VRAM for 1440p, the RX 9060 XT 16GB remains a sensible step up.
3. Spread the cost with finance
If you'd rather not pay it all at once, finance lets you spread the cost over monthly payments (0% options available at checkout) — so a rising market doesn't mean a bigger up-front hit.
4. Buy from a UK builder that's still keeping prices down
We build every PC to order in the UK, hold our pricing £100 below the equivalent eBay listing, and have stock ready now — no waiting lists. That combination matters most exactly when the market is rising.
Our Custom Gaming PCs — Live UK Prices (July 2026)
Every build is assembled to order in the UK with a 3-year warranty and free next-day delivery after build. Starting prices, lowest first:
- From £786 — Esports (integrated graphics): Ryzen 5 + 16GB DDR5 + NVMe SSD — great for CS2, Valorant, Fortnite and League at 1080p. See under-£1,000 builds →
- From £939 — Entry 1080p: RTX 3050 6GB + Ryzen 5 — AAA games at 1080p, on Windows 11.
- From £1,056 — Sweet spot: RTX 5060 with DLSS 4 — strong 1080p/1440p value, least exposed to the GPU shortage.
- From £1,185 — 1440p: RX 9060 XT 16GB — more VRAM for sharp, future-proof 1440p gaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are RAM and SSD prices going up in 2026?
Because AI data centres are buying enormous amounts of memory. The same three manufacturers that make PC RAM and SSDs have shifted factory capacity to high-margin AI memory (HBM), leaving less DDR5 and NAND for desktops — so prices rise.
Will PC component prices come back down?
Not soon, and the forecasts have hardened. The memory shortage is now expected to run to at least the end of 2027 — SK Hynix has said 2027 will be the worst year of it, and both AMD and Intel have pointed to 2028 before supply and pricing return to anything like normal. Prices are still rising, not levelling off, so waiting is unlikely to save you money.
Should I buy a gaming PC now or wait?
If you need a PC, buying now is the safer bet financially. Prices are trending up, so the build you price today may cost more later. Buying now locks in current pricing.
Are graphics cards affected too?
Yes — especially cards with 16GB or more of video memory, which are scarcer and pricier. Entry 8GB cards like the RTX 5060 and RTX 3050 have been least affected and remain great value.
How much RAM do I actually need for gaming?
For gaming, 16GB is the comfortable minimum and 32GB is ample for almost everyone. With prices high, there's little reason to pay the premium for 64GB or 128GB unless you do heavy content creation or virtual machines.
How are you keeping prices lower than other sellers?
We build to order in the UK, keep margins lean, and price every PC £100 below the equivalent eBay listing. You can also spread the cost with finance at checkout.
About the Author
Written by the team at We Build The Perfect PC For You Ltd — a UK-based custom PC building company based in Littlehampton, West Sussex. Every PC we sell is built to order at our UK workshop, stress-tested before dispatch, and backed by a 3-year warranty. If you have questions about any build, get in touch — we're happy to help.