We recently covered a rumor that ASUS was planning on expanding its DDR4-compatible motherboard production and theorized that it might be a way to offer inexpensive build options to PC gamers in the midst of a growing DRAM shortage that continues to drive the price of DDR5 and NAND through the roof. It seems as though this may have been a correct estimation, as ASUS recently announced (via DigiTimes ) a 2026 price hike on SSDs and DRAM kits, which will come into effect on January 5, 2026. While ASUS directly mentions DRAM and SSDs in its announcement, it doesn't specify which products will see a price increase, although it's easy to speculate where the effects will be felt the hardest—laptops, PC builds, smartphones, video cards, and gaming handhelds immediately stand out as victims.

ASUS says the price increase has become necessary after it has been "absorbing and responding to cost pressure over an extended period," and it blames supply chain pressure caused by increased demand from the AI industry for the price increases. This isn't entirely unexpected, and it was one of the potential outcomes industry insiders discussed in a prior rumor that suggested upcoming hardware launches may be delayed as a result of the DRAM shortage. The far-reaching effects of the DRAM crisis may extend to next-gen gaming consoles as well, which have been predicted to be delayed to well after the expected 2028 launch period.