- Framework just increased the price of its desktop PCs, especially the high-end model
- The company said the “memory outlook as we approach 2026 continues to deteriorate.”
- He warned: “It is clear that this is going to be a difficult year, indeed difficult years for consumers.”
Framework, which makes modular laptops as well as a DIY desktop computer – all offering a range of personalized configuration choices – has raised the alarm over the price of RAM.
The PC maker explained: “We waited as long as we could, but as prices for LPDDR5x memory from our suppliers continue to increase rapidly, we have had to update prices for Framework Desktop systems and motherboards. »
In an updated blog post on the current volatile memory market, Framework further noted that with its desktop: “Prices for 128 GB parts (of which we use 8 to get to 128 GB) have increased the most, which has impacted our very popular 128 GB configuration.”
The price of all of its desktops has increased, although Framework says the asking price of existing pre-orders will not be changed. The 32GB and 64GB PCs were kept “closer to our original price”, but the 128GB computer saw a big price hike.
The 128 GB configuration of the Framework Desktop is now 50% more expensive than the 64 GB version (which otherwise carries the same hardware specifications). That means you’re paying $820 (in the US) for the extra 64GB of system RAM, which is a nasty price hike.
More worryingly, Framework also wrote: “The outlook for memory as we approach 2026 continues to deteriorate. Based on what we learned in this week’s meetings at CES with suppliers, distributors and partners, it’s clear that this is going to be a tough year and maybe even years for consumers. »
Analysis: rough seas ahead – but for how long?
This last quote is one of the most pessimistic predictions we’ve seen about how long the memory crisis might last. The use of the word “years” is not reassuring and suggests that RAM supply and pricing challenges could persist not only this year, but next year – and perhaps even longer.
There have already been suggestions from some quarters that we may not see a return to normal in RAM costs until 2028, and this seems to support that notion – although it is still presented as a possibility by Framework, not an inevitability.
Ultimately, those in the industry are just offering their best-educated guesses about how long these component price hikes will last, which extend beyond RAM and affect storage (which also uses memory chips), as well as GPUs (which have video RAM).
This of course puts PC manufacturers in a difficult position, as well as consumers trying to purchase parts to build their own computer. For this reason, the PC sales forecast for this year is very gloomy, and all we can do is hope that 2026 is ruled out and that a recovery is in line for 2027.
However, given the growing momentum behind AI – which is a key factor in the RAM crisis, as tons of memory is purchased for AI use (including large amounts of VRAM in AI GPUs) – it’s quite easy to remain pessimistic. Especially since Framework’s perspective appears to come from a wide range of conversations with all of its different suppliers and others in the supply chain.
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