More RAM price-hike misery? Framework warns of 'volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026' just as some GPUs suddenly get more expensive | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Details
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
More RAM price-hike misery? Framework warns of 'volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026' just as some GPUs suddenly get more expensive
Asus RX 9070 XT models in the US have gotten a lot pricier overnight
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Asus RX 9070 XT GPUs have been hit with a sudden price hike in the US
Framework has warned that while memory costs have stabilized in some areas, this is likely just a temporary reprieve
The laptop maker predicts that "We'll continue to see volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026."
There's been a fresh round of price rises for PC components, and that includes price hikes for certain Radeon GPUs, as well as more RAM and storage-related unpleasantness.
We'll start with the graphics cards. Video Cardz noticed that Asus RX 9070 XT models have become more expensive at the firm's US store.
For example, the Asus Prime 9070 XT OC was previously
Framework gives stark warning about 'years' of RAM price hike misery
Analyst firm warns of 'unprecedented and record-breaking surge' in RAM cost
DDR5 RAM hits painful new high — and price-hike misery will likely continue
The Asus TUF overclocked take on the 9070 XT is up by 16.5%, meaning the GPU now tips the scales at $989.99, very nearly a grand.
There's been no official announcement from Asus regarding any rising prices, and these hikes have been applied overnight, worryingly.
On top of that, modular laptop and PC manufacturer Framework has announced more RAM and SSD price increases (hat tip to Tom's Hardware), albeit these are not as painful as we've previously witnessed.
The Framework Laptop has seen a price increase for the prebuilt model with 64GB of DDR5 RAM, although there is some more positive news with lower CPU pricing (this is down to its original level for some configurations).
With the Framework Desktop PC, the company notes that it has absorbed RAM cost increases save for the 128GB model, which has had a price hike.
On the storage front, it says new SSDs the company is buying have "substantially higher costs" and to begin with, this means the 4TB version of the WD SN850X is more expensive – and other drives are likely to be soon.
Framework adds: "Our advice here is still that if you need high capacity storage, you should configure a system with it now while we still have inventory at the older, lower cost basis."
GPU price hikes are getting out of hand going by a new report
AMD graphics card makers rumored to be looking at more price hikes
AMD exec: Radeon GPU stock won't be an issue, but price rises are likely
Despite the fact that some cost increases have been absorbed, and the latest round of hikes is relatively limited, Framework cautions against getting comfortable with any notion that things might be calming down with regard to the memory crisis. The manufacturer warns: "We have seen costs stabilize in some areas, but all indications are that this is a temporary reprieve and that we'll continue to see volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026."
There have been glimmers of hope regarding a RAM reprieve elsewhere of late, too — albeit mainly based on the cost of memory getting so high that consumer demand is seriously flagging — but those hints have been weighed down with similar caveats.
The Asus GPU price hikes are more alarming here, though, as they represent some swiftly applied increases, pushing the Radeon 9070 XT graphics card up over the
However, is this an early signal that we might see other board makers also increase their 9070 XT asking prices? Possibly — that is very much the worry here, and we shouldn't forget that a few months ago, back at the start of the year in the US, you could still get these AMD GPUs for around the $600 mark, which certainly isn't the case now.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best laptops
- Best overall: Apple Mac Book Air 13-inch M4
- Best budget: Asus Chromebook CM14
- Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch
- Best gaming: Razer Blade 16
- Best for pros Mac Book Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro)
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow Tech Radar on You Tube and Tik Tok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on Whats App too.
Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for Tech Radar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 More RAM price-hike misery? Framework warns of 'volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026' just as some GPUs suddenly get more expensive
2I tried using Google’s new offline AI dictation app — and it polished my ramblings surprisingly well
3 Players are apparently spending 'tens of hours' building factories in Arknights: Endfield as dev says the 'sandbox' mechanics set the game apart
4'What a great troll': Invincible fans praise the Prime Video show's creative team over 'hilarious fake-out' season 4 episode 6 ending
5I went hands-on with the Aqara Camera Hub G350: a powerful indoor security camera that's a wolf in rabbit’s clothing
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
-
More RAM price-hike misery
