Buying a new gaming PC on a budget is getting harder by the month, and it’s not because manufacturers suddenly stopped caring about value builds. The real problem is memory. DRAM prices have surged to record levels, and the ongoing shortage is reshaping how much a “cheap” PC can realistically cost.
A new market outlook from Gartner paints a tough picture for the PC industry over the next couple of years. The firm expects global PC shipments to fall by 10.4% in 2026, signaling weaker demand as prices climb and shoppers postpone upgrades. That decline is projected to be steeper than what’s expected in the smartphone market, and it’s a big warning sign that the traditional entry-level PC landscape is changing fast.
One of the most striking predictions is that the sub-$500 entry-level PC category is on track to vanish entirely by 2028. For years, PC makers have tried to keep low-end systems affordable by absorbing some of the rising costs inside the bill of materials (BOM). That strategy works only up to a point. When DRAM gets expensive enough, there’s no room left to “eat the difference” without cutting too deep into profit margins.
And that’s where budget gamers get hit the hardest. Memory is a core component in nearly every modern PC configuration, and when its cost becomes a larger slice of the total build price, manufacturers have little choice but to raise retail prices. Gartner’s view is clear: PC brands are effectively forced to pass these cost increases on to customers, especially in popular mainstream price tiers like $500 to $1,000, where shoppers are the most price-sensitive and where small increases can quickly kill demand.
The knock-on effects are already being felt across the market. The DRAM shortage has contributed to higher hardware prices, delayed launches, and thinning inventory at retailers. Gartner also expects the situation to encourage consumers to keep their existing PCs longer, with average PC lifespan forecast to rise by about 20% by the end of this year. In other words, more people will try to stretch their current system rather than pay higher prices for what used to be considered an “affordable upgrade.”
For manufacturers, the choices are limited. Rather than aggressively discounting systems and losing money, Gartner expects many vendors to accept lower unit sales in order to protect profitability. That likely means fewer deals, tighter availability, and continued pressure on pricing—especially as existing DRAM stockpiles run down and the impact of higher memory pricing shows up more strongly heading into Q2.
For gamers watching prices climb, the most realistic short-term strategy may simply be patience. If the key driver is memory supply, then meaningful relief depends on the DRAM market stabilizing—and that could take a year or longer. Until then, the era of truly entry-level gaming PCs at bargain prices may keep slipping further out of reach.
