Wednesday, November 12th 2025
ASUS Warns PC Prices Could Rise if DRAM and NAND Shortages Persist
ASUS has cautioned that it might need to raise prices for its PC solutions across the board if component shortages, such as DRAM and NAND flash, continue for a while longer. Speaking for Taiwan's Liberty Times, ASUS co-CEO has made remarks that: "For distribution channel pricing, ASUS will take into account costs, distribution partners and consumer demand, and then adjust the product mix and adjust product prices accordingly." This means that the increase in industry costs will be reflected in the final pricing that ASUS offers its customers. For example, if the price of DRAM increases, a PC with 16, 32, or 64 GB of DDR5 memory will likely see a price increase of a few hundred US dollars.
We recently reported that DRAM prices have surged 171.8% year-over-year, making this "commodity" one of the most valuable assets for applications ranging from data centers to home builds. Even more concerning is the fact that vendors can expect only 70% order fill rate, and smaller OEMs and channel distributors have been told to expect only 35-40% fulfillment through the first quarter of 2026. In addition to DRAM, NAND flash storage has also doubled in the past six months. Phison CEO Khein-Seng Pua recently noted that the price of a 1 Terabit TLC NAND jumped from $4.80 in July 2025 to $10.70 in November 2025, marking an increase of over 100% in less than six months. Other types of NAND flash, such as MLC and QLC, have also seen spot prices double.
DRAM and NAND flash are expected to "work together" to drive OEM prices to new highs if the current shortages persist. Phison's CEO recently stated that the NAND flash shortage could last up to 10 years, while the timeline for the DRAM shortage remains uncertain. In the meantime, we are left to observe how companies like ASUS plan to adjust their pricing strategies to cope with these shortages, as the cost of essential components is skyrocketing. For example, prices for higher-capacity 64 GB DDR5 kits have increased from approximately $200 to $500. ASUS might incorporate these increased costs into its systems, but no official announcements have been made yet.
Source:
Taiwan's Liberty Times
We recently reported that DRAM prices have surged 171.8% year-over-year, making this "commodity" one of the most valuable assets for applications ranging from data centers to home builds. Even more concerning is the fact that vendors can expect only 70% order fill rate, and smaller OEMs and channel distributors have been told to expect only 35-40% fulfillment through the first quarter of 2026. In addition to DRAM, NAND flash storage has also doubled in the past six months. Phison CEO Khein-Seng Pua recently noted that the price of a 1 Terabit TLC NAND jumped from $4.80 in July 2025 to $10.70 in November 2025, marking an increase of over 100% in less than six months. Other types of NAND flash, such as MLC and QLC, have also seen spot prices double.
16 Comments on ASUS Warns PC Prices Could Rise if DRAM and NAND Shortages Persist
Last time that happened was a year ago. When the cartel announced they were cutting production, I made my move to acquire memory for my needs. Now I'm set for awhile. I'll stock up on more when prices crash in a year or two.
I also stocked up big time on Ram, as well as nvme's late last year, when the prices bottomed out. Mainly because I had several client builds that were due for delivery before Xmas & others well into early '25, plus some backstock for my parts bins, just in case.... I saved my clients a ton of moolah by doing so....:)
So I will be watching the market very closely for a repeat of the same scenario, if it looks like it will happen. Fingers crossed !
I saw price hikes for most common parts. Motherboard and cpu cases for medium prices will not make building or buying a full computer a good option.
We're doomed and we know it.
www.reuters.com/world/china/smic-says-worries-over-memory-shortage-prompt-customers-hold-back-q1-orders-2025-11-14/
clear signs this bull run is causing havoc on the rest of the economy
Every bubble eventually bursts, as the investors run out of patience and realize the insane amount of collateral-less leverage on most of the bets and all the accounting shenanigans. You can't print energy, raw materials nor cutting edge fabs.