All articles tagged with #ram crisis
Valve says Steam Machine pricing remains elevated because memory costs spiked during the RAM crisis, implying launch pricing wasn’t as competitive as it could have been. The engineers expect memory prices to normalize in 3–6 months, which could make the Steam Machine more competitive, and Valve stresses a PC catalog as launch exclusives rather than hardware exclusives.
Surging RAM shortages have driven Apple to raise MacBook prices in 2026, fueling a boom in refurbished MacBooks as buyers prioritize value over the latest features. Retailers report fast-selling refurbished MacBook Pros and older M-series models remain capable work machines with ongoing software support into the late 2020s.
MSI revealed the Claw 8 EX AI Plus PC gaming handheld at $1,800, packing an Intel Arc G3 Extreme, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. With memory and storage costs rising, MSI hints at potential further price hikes, signaling a tough year for both makers and gamers as the device aims to compete with higher-priced handhelds like Steam Deck equivalents.
Meta says RAM shortages are driving price hikes for Quest headsets effective April 19: Quest 3 up $100 to $599; Quest 3S up to $350 (128GB) or $450 (256GB); refurbished Quest 3 up $100 to $550; refurbished Quest 3S up to $320 (128GB) or $410 (256GB). Accessories unchanged; no immediate price changes for smart glasses. A correction notes the refurbished Quest 3 increase is $100, not $170.
Framework CEO Nirav Patel warns that RAM shortages and global supply-chain woes are pushing the PC industry toward cloud-first computing, meaning the computer in the cloud now outsizes the computer in the hand and ownership may become costlier or subsumed by subscriptions; he also teases a Linux-oriented Framework device as RAM/SSD prices continue to rise.
RAM shortages driven by AI datacenters force Nex to raise the Nex Playground from $250 to $300 starting April 1; Nex says higher memory and storage costs are not sustainable and this is the second price bump in under two years, though its subscription price remains unchanged and the company apologizes for reduced accessibility.
The surge in AI development has led to a RAM shortage, prompting PC and phone manufacturers to reduce memory specifications to cope with the supply constraints.
Maingear has launched a BYO RAM program allowing customers to supply their own DDR5 memory for custom PCs amid a severe RAM shortage and skyrocketing prices, with the company testing and validating all memory to ensure compatibility. The ongoing crisis, driven by high demand and supply constraints, has led other PC builders to adopt similar no-RAM options, while scams involving DDR5 kits are also increasing.