Industry sources cited by TrendForce say Dell is preparing to implement a 15-20% price hike as early as mid-December. The reason? Obviously, the recent DRAM prices, especially DDR5 that jumped around 70% year-over-year, with certain parts spiking more than 170%. Dell COO Jeff Clarke recently warned that he has "never seen memory-chip costs rise this fast," as component prices surge across the board. The other giant OEM, Lenovo, has begun notifying customers that pricing will rise in early 2026, with all current quotes expiring on January 1 due to accelerating memory shortages and AI-driven demand. Lenovo is advising customers to place orders sooner rather than later, as the next wave of adjustments is only weeks away. Other OEMs, including HP, Samsung , and LG are now rethinking 2026 product plans, particularly around AI PCs and tablets. HP CEO Enrique Lores has also indicated that H2 2026 may require further price adjustments, noting that memory accounts for roughly 15-18% of total PC cost.

TrendForce latest outlook reflects the growing pressure: rising memory prices are increasing Bill of Materials (BOM) costs and forcing brands to raise retail pricing, weakening demand. The firm has cut its 2026 notebook forecast from +1.7% YoY growth to a -2.4% decline. From the consumer point of view, 2026 seems to be a year to forget as pretty much each product category will see prices increased , low availability, and/or new products released with sub-par specifications just to keep the price reasonable. Let us not forget that just two days ago, Micron also shut down its nearly 30-year-old Crucial consumer brand , shifting those resources toward higher-margin AI products.