Laptop maker Framework announces another immediate memory price hike, says additional increase expected within a month — encourages buyers to bring their own memory and check PCPartPicker for better deals
Laptop maker Framework announces another immediate memory price hike, says additional increase expected within a month — encourages buyers to bring their own memory and check PCPartPicker for better deals
Highly customizable and upgradable laptop manufacturer Framework announced that it’s hiking the prices of memory modules, this just one month after it had to increase RAM pricing by 50% and stop selling standalone kits to avoid scalpers. The firm also expects another price increase within the next month.
According to the company’s blog, it’s increasing prices due to “extreme memory shortages and price volatility.” However, it promises to price these items as close as possible to the acquisition cost from its suppliers and distributors. Framework says that memory prices currently sit at around $10/GB for 32GB modules and smaller, while 48GB modules cost around $13/GB. The company also warns that storage price hikes are likely coming soon, too.
Despite these price hikes, Framework says it still offers good pricing for memory modules, even with the ongoing memory crisis, in contrast to Apple’s egregious pricing for RAM upgrades, which cost around $25/GB. The company even suggested that its customers bring their own memory if possible. “…if you are able to find a deal on lower priced modules, we encourage you to bring your own memory when purchasing a Framework Laptop DIY Edition,” the company said in its post. “To make that even clearer, we’re updating our configurators soon to add a link to PCPartPicker directly in the Memory section, letting you quickly check if you can find modules at lower prices anywhere else.”
Framework said it has absorbed and continues to absorb memory price hikes, but its suppliers are likely to continue raising memory pricing through 2026. Because of this, it expects to adjust RAM pricing again by January. This is in line with predictions from analysts and experts, with a Kingston rep even recommending people not to wait for better pricing when purchasing memory modules, as there’s no relief in sight for the memory market next year.
Still, the company pledges to be transparent about price changes and that it even promises to reduce them if memory module costs come down in the future. Framework is likely doing this as it bills itself as a different company from the usual laptop manufacturer, with its products designed to be easily upgraded and repaired by the consumer. In an effort to show it’s not profiteering from the misery of PC builders and enthusiasts, the company is making clear that its pricing is driven by market forces, not corporate greed.
