Framework is raising laptop prices again, and this time the culprit is hard to ignore: DDR5 RAM has become dramatically more expensive in a short period, driven by a broader global memory crunch. In a fresh update posted on December 24, the modular laptop maker said it’s adjusting laptop pricing to reflect higher “weighted-average” supplier costs, and it’s warning customers that more increases could arrive soon.
What makes this situation stand out isn’t just the price hike—it’s how Framework is handling it. Instead of quietly rolling the increases into its store and moving on, the company is openly telling buyers to consider sourcing their own DDR5 memory if they can find a better deal. That’s a rare stance in the laptop industry, where manufacturers typically prefer customers to buy preconfigured upgrades directly.
This is also not a one-off change. Framework says this is the third DDR5-related price revision in roughly two weeks, following major volatility in memory pricing earlier in December. At that time, memory prices spiked sharply, and Framework temporarily stopped selling individual RAM modules—an effort aimed at discouraging scalping during the surge.
Under the latest adjustment, pricing is based on a per-gigabyte cost structure applied to common DDR5 laptop memory sizes like 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, with a slightly higher rate applied to 48GB modules. The company emphasizes that it’s treating these increases as pass-through costs from suppliers and distributors, not as an opportunity to add extra margin—saying it’s only charging what’s necessary.
For shoppers trying to keep costs down, Framework recommends buying a DIY Edition laptop and installing your own compatible DDR5 RAM. To reduce the risk of compatibility headaches, the company points customers to a list of memory kits that have been tested, and it also says it plans to update its online configuration tools to make comparison shopping easier for buyers who want to find competitive pricing elsewhere.
The bigger story behind the price changes is the ongoing pressure on the memory supply chain. RAM shortages, lingering logistics and supply disruptions, and rising enterprise demand—especially from servers and AI data centers that consume huge amounts of high-capacity memory—are all tightening availability and pushing prices higher across the market. Framework is also signaling that storage prices may be heading in the same direction, with sharp increases already underway and more volatility expected.
Framework is clear about one more thing: this may not be the last increase. The company says additional price hikes are possible and could appear as early as January if supplier costs continue to climb. At the same time, it’s promising to reduce prices again once component pricing stabilizes and the market calms down.
For anyone considering a Framework laptop in the near term, the takeaway is simple: DDR5 RAM pricing is unusually unstable right now. If you’re comfortable installing laptop memory yourself, a DIY configuration paired with carefully chosen compatible modules could help you avoid some of the impact. If not, expect higher configured prices until DDR5 supply and demand return to more normal levels.
