Authored by Mikaelle De Oliviera聽
You don鈥檛 need an AI laptop, nor do you likely care about running some massive AI model from your couch. So why is AI still going to make your next device more expensive?
The growing demand for AI infrastructure is putting pressure on the memory market, with data centres requiring huge amounts of memory to run demanding AI systems. That pressure is now being felt across the wider PC market, where higher component costs are making it more expensive to produce some laptops.
You didn鈥檛 ask for an AI-powered laptop. You probably just wanted something that opens 37 Chrome tabs without having a total meltdown, yet you could still end up paying more as companies continue pouring money into AI infrastructure.
AI Is Driving Up Memory Demand
AI systems need a lot of computing power, which means data centres need large quantities of specialised memory. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) is used with AI chips, while DRAM and storage are needed for other parts of the system.
As AI data centres expand, memory suppliers are prioritising the growing demand for AI hardware, putting further pressure on the supply available for PCs and other devices. The International Data Corporation (IDC) says that shortages of memory and storage are already affecting availability.
The effect is already showing up in the PC market. According to further research conducted by the IDC, average PC selling prices are expected to increase by 18.3% in 2026, while the company expects the overall PC market to shrink as higher prices and supply problems affect demand. But what does that mean for someone looking to buy a laptop?
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Laptop Companies Are Raising Prices
When memory costs more, laptop companies have to decide how much of that extra cost they can absorb. According to Reuters, Lenovo has raised PC prices twice this year as it deals with higher memory costs. The company has also been moving towards more premium products as higher prices put pressure on demand.
Lenovo isn鈥檛 the only company dealing with the increase. The same report found that Dell, HP and Super Micro have also raised prices between 10% and 30% because of NAND and DRAM costs.
That doesn鈥檛 mean AI is solely responsible for higher laptop prices. Manufacturing, transport and wider economic conditions all play a part too. However, the huge amount of memory being bought for AI infrastructure is adding pressure to a market where component costs are already rising . If that pressure continues, consumers could end up paying more for they same kind of laptop they would have bought anyway.
Why You Could Pay More For Less
For most people, a laptop just needs to handle work, university assignments, browsing, streaming and whatever else gets thrown in during the day. You鈥檙e unlikely to be training AI models on it, but the hardware inside it is still part of the same wider market.
Even if you avoid buying an 鈥�AI PC鈥�, an ordinary laptop still needs memory and storage. When those components become more expensive, companies have fewer options for keeping the price down.
That could make finding a decent budget-friendly laptop a little more frustrating. A model that would have once sat comfortably within your price range could start looking less impressive for the same money, while spending a little more might get you noticeably better specifications.
You could spend hours comparing processors, RAM and storage, only to find you鈥檙e paying more because of a demand you have absolutely nothing to do with, while ending up with AI capabilities you probably won鈥檛 even use.
Is It Still Worth Buying A New Laptop?
If your current laptop is still doing everything you need it to, there鈥檚 no reason to rush out and replace it just because prices are under pressure. But laptops don鈥檛 last forever, and eventually, you鈥檒l need to replace yours, whether it starts slowing down or simply can鈥檛 keep up with what you need it to do.
If you do need a new laptop, there isn鈥檛 really a perfect answer. You may find that the laptop you would normally consider is now more expensive, or that you have to compromise somewhere to stay within your budget. Waiting could mean prices change again, but there鈥檚 no guarantee they鈥檒l come back down either.
You still need a laptop, but there isn鈥檛 a clever way around a more expensive market. For buyers, that could simply mean being more careful about when and what they choose to buy.
