Asus to Raise Prices of Some PC Models as Global Memory Shortage Persists: Report

Asus is set to increase the prices of its select PC lineups next week, as the PC industry struggles to contain manufacturing costs, according to a report. After the smartphone industry, various PC brands also appear to have been hit by the recent increase in memory and storage components, including DRAMs, NANDs, and SSDs. The report highlights that Asus is slated to be the first tech firm to announce the same after Dell adjusted the prices of its devices earlier this month. Interestingly, this comes amid reports of Asus planning to begin manufacturing its own DRAMs.

Asus to Increase Prices Starting January 5, 2026

Citing a notice obtained by industry sources, TrendForce reports that the Taiwanese tech major will increase the retail prices of select Asus PC lineup starting January 5, 2026. The company is said to be the first PC maker after Dell to raise the prices of its devices.

The move is said to have been taken in light of the recent rise in costs of acquiring memory components, especially DRAM. Adding to its problems is the persistent shortage of storage devices, including NAND and SSDs. Hence, Asus' move will reportedly help it in “safeguarding” supply stability, while maintaining product quality.

Further, Asus reportedly also took cognisance of the “increased capacity realignments” and higher spending on “advanced processes”, spurred globally by “booming” demand for memory and storage components by the AI industry. Unfortunately, the notice did not reveal the names of the PCs that will see a price rise. However, the same could be revealed in the coming days.

In a statement to Commercial Times, Asus CEO Samson Hu pointed out that there is a consensus among tech firms that PC prices will have to “eventually” reflect the increasing cost of memory sticks. He further forewarned that the industry does not expect these price pressures to ease in the first half of 2026, and it was difficult to predict at the time how things would pan out in the second half of next year.

This reflects a larger industry trend, where most OEMs have to adjust to the new business realities. The smartphone market has also been struggling to keep the selling prices in check due to the same reason. As more DRAMs, NANDs, and SSDs get redirected to fulfil the needs of the AI industry, many brands have been forced to raise the prices of phones to maintain healthy margins, while attempting to keep their businesses afloat.