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.
In short
- PC prices are rising because AI data centres are buying up the world's memory supply, not because of anything to do with gaming.
- Memory is worst hit, storage next, then graphics cards — and the pain is concentrated in high-capacity memory and high-VRAM cards. Entry-level parts have barely moved.
- The rises are still coming, not levelling off. Manufacturers are pointing at 2027 at the earliest, and 2028 for anything like normal.
- Because of that, waiting is unlikely to save you money — the same specification is more likely to cost more in six months than less.
- The two moves that genuinely help: buy at today's price, and spec sensibly — 16GB or 32GB of memory and an entry-to-mid graphics card avoid almost all of the increase.
Updated August 2026 with current UK prices. Despite the component shortage our builds still start from £775, or £973 with a dedicated graphics card — and every one is £100 below our own eBay price. Build yours →
Updated 19 August 2026. The squeeze has not eased, but its shape has changed — and the change matters if you are deciding when to buy.
Memory is now the story. Industry contract prices for DRAM rose roughly 95% in the first quarter of 2026 and 63% in the second. TrendForce currently expects a further 13–18% in the third quarter — still a rise, but a markedly slower one, which is the first sign in a year that the curve is bending rather than breaking. At retail the effect is brutal: a 32GB DDR5 kit that sold for around $100 in late 2025 has been listed near $350–400 through August 2026. J.P. Morgan Research and others put the cause plainly — AI infrastructure is on course to absorb a large majority of the world's memory output this year, and the same three factories (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron) supply both.
Graphics cards are following memory, not leading it. AMD confirmed a Radeon price increase of at least 10% effective August 2026, and NVIDIA has notified its board partners of rises spanning both the GDDR7 RTX 50 series and the older GDDR6 cards. The reason is the same shortage: on some high-end cards the video memory alone now accounts for more than 80% of the bill of materials, so a memory rise passes almost directly into the shelf price. In the US the RTX 5070's median listing moved from about $660 in June to $900 in August — roughly a third in two months — and the RTX 5090 now lists on NVIDIA's own store far above its launch price.
One important caveat, and it cuts both ways: most of the headline percentages above are supply prices charged to manufacturers, not shop shelf prices. Retail follows with a lag of a few weeks — which is why a rise announced today shows up in a build price later, and why a slowdown in contract prices will take a while to reach you.
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 19 August 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 6GB still offers strong value because entry-level 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 (August 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 £775 — Esports (integrated graphics): Ryzen 5 + 16GB DDR5 + NVMe SSD — great for CS2, Valorant, Fortnite and League at 1080p. See under-£1,000 builds →
- From £973 — Entry 1080p: RTX 3050 6GB + Ryzen 5 — AAA games at 1080p, on Windows 11.
- From £1,129 — Sweet spot: RTX 5060 with DLSS 4 — strong 1080p/1440p value, least exposed to the GPU shortage.
- From £1,230 — 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.
When will RAM prices go down?
Not this year, on current forecasts. Contract prices are still rising into the third quarter of 2026, only more slowly than earlier in the year. SK Hynix has said 2027 will be the worst year of the shortage, and both AMD and Intel have pointed at 2028 before supply and pricing look normal again.
How much does RAM cost right now?
It depends entirely on capacity, and that is the important part. Entry capacities have barely moved — 8GB, 16GB and 32GB are close to where they were. The steep rises are all at 64GB and above, which is where AI data-centre demand bites. For gaming, 16GB or 32GB avoids the increase almost completely.
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.