Report: Mainstream laptop prices could rise as much as 40%

TrendForce warns that rising costs for CPUs, DRAM and SSDs could push mainstream laptop prices significantly higher. The global memory shortage has already driven sharp increases in DRAM and NAND flash prices, and those increases are squeezing notebook bills of materials.

Under normal conditions DRAM and SSD account for roughly 15% of a notebook’s BOM, but TrendForce projects that share will exceed 30% in 1Q26. CPUs already represent one of the largest cost components, and for a $900 notebook combined CPU and memory costs could rise from roughly 45% to about 58% of BOM.

Those shifts could translate into retail price increases approaching 40% if brands and distributors keep existing margins. That raises a clear choice for manufacturers about accepting lower profit margins, and for buyers about whether paying $1,260 for a $900 laptop would be acceptable.

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