RAM prices have climbed, and at least one Costco location is taking extra steps to protect display PCs
A recent post on Reddit claims Costco has started removing RAM from in-store desktop display units after an incident where memory was ‘taken’ from a demo system. The post suggests the parts are kept off the floor to reduce the chance of repeat theft.
The same approach has also been used for graphics cards. Some stores have pulled GPUs from display towers as well, since discrete cards are easy to remove and resell. We can see this in one of the photos, where only the motherboard, fans and cooling is lit up.
Apparently the retailer is facing many thefts involving easy-to-remove expensive hardware. According to one of the Redditors, a Costco employee recently described a case where RAM was stolen from a display PC and the incident was caught on camera. The same precaution can also apply to GPUs, with some stores pulling graphics cards from display towers as well.
This change does not necessarily mean the system on the shelf is missing parts in the box. Retailers often keep small, high-value components secured until the unit is sold, while still advertising the full spec on the placard or packaging.
Source: Reddit
