ASUS is preparing to raise prices on key memory products, and the timing suggests the wider PC industry could feel it soon. According to a leaked internal letter sent to business partners, ASUS will implement notable price increases starting January 5, 2026, covering select SSDs and DRAM (RAM) kits. ASUS Taiwan has reportedly confirmed the letter is genuine, describing it as internal B2B communication that was never meant for public release.
While the document points to SSD and RAM pricing changes, it also notes that only certain product combinations and configurations will be affected. ASUS has not publicly listed which models will see increases or how large each adjustment will be. Still, the move is arriving right before CES 2026, a period when many brands refresh product lineups and set expectations for upcoming pricing. That makes the date significant, as it may help establish new market benchmarks for memory and storage costs going into 2026.
Concerns around memory supply and pricing have been building, and industry chatter suggests RAM prices could climb substantially throughout 2026, with some estimates reaching as high as 45% over the year. If those predictions prove accurate, the impact won’t be limited to standalone RAM sticks or SSD upgrades. Memory components like DRAM and NAND flash sit at the heart of modern hardware, which means cost increases can ripple into laptops, prebuilt desktop PCs, and even graphics cards that rely on onboard memory.
To soften the blow for buyers and system builders, ASUS is reportedly extending support for DDR4 motherboards. That matters because DDR4 platforms can still deliver solid real-world performance for many users and may remain the more budget-friendly option compared with newer standards—despite DDR4 also seeing price pressure. Similar stopgap tactics are expected elsewhere in the market, including more laptops shipping with only 8 GB of RAM as manufacturers try to keep entry-level pricing within reach.
For consumers, the takeaway is simple: early 2026 could bring higher costs for SSDs, RAM upgrades, and systems built around those components. If you’ve been planning a PC build, a laptop purchase, or a storage upgrade, the first weeks of January may become a key window to watch—especially as CES announcements begin shaping what hardware costs look like for the rest of the year.
