ASUS to Raise PC Prices Amid Growing Component Costs

ASUS has announced plans to increase prices on select PC products starting January 5, 2026. This decision comes just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas. In communication with partners, the Taiwanese technology company attributed the price hikes to rising costs of key components, including DRAM and NAND flash. This move positions ASUS among the first major PC manufacturers to publicly acknowledge price adjustments linked to the ongoing global memory shortage, a trend that has steadily elevated component prices throughout 2025.

While ASUS has not specified which models will be affected, it is likely that the price increases will impact a broad range of products that rely on memory and storage. This includes laptops, desktop computers, the ROG Ally handheld device, and graphics processing units (GPUs). Although the company previously committed to producing its own RAM to potentially provide more affordable options—especially following Micron’s shutdown of its Crucial business—the upcoming price hikes may disappoint many in the PC market.

Understanding the Price Increases

At the heart of ASUS’s pricing strategy is a reflection of broader issues within the semiconductor memory market. Following several years of relative price stability, costs for DRAM and NAND flash have surged. A significant factor driving this increase is the redirection of memory capacity towards high-bandwidth artificial intelligence systems and data centers, which has squeezed the supply available for traditional PC products.

Internally, ASUS characterizes the price adjustments as a “strategic adjustment” designed to maintain product quality and supply stability after enduring elevated component costs for an extended period. Although the company has not disclosed specific price increases, industry observers anticipate that the adjustments will align with recent trends, reflecting everything from modest increases to more significant jumps depending on the product and its memory configuration.

For consumers, the timing of this announcement is particularly challenging. With CES 2026 just around the corner, ASUS’s news adds another layer of uncertainty for buyers already facing rising hardware prices. Potential customers may need to reassess their budget expectations, especially if they previously considered ASUS products to be on the expensive side.

For anyone contemplating a PC build or upgrade in 2026, it may be prudent to monitor post-CES pricing closely, explore refurbished options, or wait for potential stabilization in component prices later in the year. The market’s current trajectory, heavily influenced by the increasing demand for AI features, suggests that consumers will once again bear the burden of higher costs.