As the cost of RAM, a critical component in a wide range of electronic devices, has more than doubled since October 2025, consumers in the UK can expect to pay significantly more for everything from smartphones to PCs in the coming year.
The surge in RAM prices is primarily driven by the explosive growth in data centres powering AI, which also require large amounts of RAM. This imbalance between supply and demand has led to manufacturers being quoted costs up to 500% higher than just a few months ago, according to Steve Mason, general manager of CyberPowerPC, a computer building company.
“If it uses memory, or storage, there is the potential for price increases,” Mason said. “The manufacturers will have choices to make, as will consumers.”
Danny Williams from rival computer building site PCSpecialist echoed this sentiment, warning that price increases are expected to continue “well into 2026.” He has seen a “varied impact” across different RAM producers, with some vendors having larger inventories and more subtle price increases, while others have raised prices by up to 5 times.
Chris Miller, author of Chip War, identified AI as the “main factor” driving the surge in demand for computer memory, particularly the high-bandwidth memory required for advanced AI applications. This, coupled with supply constraints, has led suppliers to steadily push prices upward, with some even pausing price quotes as they anticipate further increases.
Mike Howard from Tech Insights explained that cloud service providers finalizing their memory requirements for 2026 and 2027 have given RAM manufacturers a clear picture of the growing demand, which is expected to outpace supply.
The impact on consumers is likely to be significant, with typical laptop and smartphone manufacturing costs expected to increase by £30-£37 and £30, respectively, according to Howard. This will almost certainly be passed on to consumers, forcing them to decide whether to pay more for the performance they need or accept lower-performing devices.
“Computers are a commodity – an everyday item that people need in a modern day world,” said Williams. “With the increase in memory price, consumers will need to decide to either pay a higher price for the performance they need, or accept a compromise in a lower performing device.”
As the tech industry grapples with these supply and demand challenges, consumers in the UK may have to brace for higher prices or make do with older technology in the year ahead.
