Framework is a unique company, offering modular laptops designed for easy repairs and near-infinite upgrades. But it’s also a small company, much more susceptible to market changes brought on by things like capricious tariffs. Though it’s tried to insulate itself from skyrocketing RAM prices brought on by “AI” datacenter demand, something had to give. And that “something” is laptop prices.
A few weeks ago Framework stopped selling RAM separately from laptops and the new desktop (which uses the same SO-DIMM memory), giving a public statement that it was trying to prevent scalpers from buying up supply, and saving its reserves for customers who buy pre-configured laptops. But now the prices for said laptops, when configured with memory, are rising. In a blog post from founder Nirav Patel, the company announced a 50 percent price bump for RAM (and only RAM) in the store configuration tool.
A single 8GB stick of DDR5 RAM costs $60 (and I wouldn’t even recommend going that low to run Windows 11). Two 8GB sticks for 16GB total costs $120, though you can get a single 16GB stick for the same price. 32GB is $240, with prices going up predictably all the way to $720 for 2x48GB, 96GB in total. Checking an Archive.org backup of the Framework store, these prices are indeed 50 percent higher than they were before today. Prices on other components have not changed — if you happen to have a source of reasonably-priced RAM, you can still buy the laptop without any memory at all.
RAM prices have been completely out of control for the last few months, with consumer-packaged DDR5 doubling and now tripling in cost. A boom in “AI” datacenters, hungry for memory and storage, is assumed to have gobbled up all the industrial production capacity. Micron, one of the “big three” memory manufacturers, will completely shutter its Crucial sub-brand in order to focus on supplying the AI industry. Other companies like Lenovo are trying to keep prices down with forward-looking deals and stockpiling.
But consumers who want to buy and install their own memory are at the very bottom of this particular monetary totem pole, and getting the worst of a bad situation. Framework isn’t far off, though the blog post says the company has “strong partnerships with Micron…[and] memory module makers like ADATA.”
I’ve spoken with various representatives of PC manufacturers in the last few weeks, and asked them all about the RAM and storage situation. They’ve given similar answers, though none were ready to go into specifics or commit to anything regarding pricing in 2026. It’s disappointing, but unsurprising. The long and the short of it is this: If you can wait for an upgrade, do so…and if you need an upgrade in the near future, you might want to pull the trigger now before prices go higher and higher.
Framework is committed to staying transparent about pricing, though it notes that the return policy needs to be adjusted. It worries that scalpers will buy its laptops for the below-market prices on RAM alone. So if you return your Framework computer, the RAM has to come with it, too.
Author: Michael Crider
Source: PCWorld
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
