ASUS joins the ranks of companies increasing prices for its PC products.

      Price increases will affect PCs, laptops, and other products starting January 5, driven by rising memory costs across the industry.

      ASUS is set to increase prices on select PC products beginning January 5, 2026, just before CES 2026 kicks off in Las Vegas. A private notice to partners from the Taiwanese tech company cited rising costs of DRAM, NAND flash, and other essential components as the main reason for this decision. ASUS is among the first major PC manufacturers to publicly announce price changes in response to the ongoing global memory shortage, which has led to steadily rising component costs throughout 2025.

      In their product price adjustment announcement, ASUS thanked its partners and customers for their ongoing support. The notice acknowledged a shift towards AI-driven computing while enterprises expand rapidly amidst structural challenges.

      While ASUS has not specified which models will be impacted, it is likely that the price increase will apply to all products involving memory and storage, such as laptops, PCs, the ROG Ally handheld, and GPUs. Despite ASUS's plans to produce its own RAM to meet market demand and potentially offer more affordable options—especially following Micron's closure of its Crucial business—this news disappoints the PC community.

      The significance of this price hike lies in its representation of a broader supply-chain constraint in the semiconductor memory market. After several years of relative stability, DRAM and NAND flash prices have surged, partially due to an increasing allocation of memory capacity towards high-bandwidth AI systems and data centers, leaving traditional PC products vying for a shrinking supply.

      Internally, ASUS refers to these price hikes as a "strategic adjustment" aimed at ensuring product quality and supply stability after bearing elevated component costs for an extended time. Although exact figures have not been disclosed, industry analysts predict the increases will follow recent trends, showing anywhere from slight to more substantial rises depending on the product and its memory configuration.

      For consumers, the timing of this announcement is particularly inconvenient. With CES 2026 approaching, this development adds another layer of unpredictability for buyers already facing increasing hardware prices. If ASUS products have already appeared costly, it may be wise to adjust expectations. For those contemplating a PC build or upgrade in 2026, monitoring post-CES prices, exploring refurbished options, or waiting for mid-year stabilization of components could be a prudent strategy. Regardless of interest in AI features, the market is definitively leaning in that direction, placing the financial burden on the end consumer once again.