If you are planning to buy a new laptop in the coming weeks, there’s bad news for you. Laptop prices in India and globally are on the rise as major manufacturers Dell and HP have begun incurring greater manufacturing costs per unit. A severe shortage of memory chips (DRAM and NAND) has led to a major hike in manufacturing costs, and hence, laptop makers have begun passing those price hikes to customers. The chip shortage, fueled by explosive demand from AI companies, is now going to force shoppers to make purchases soon to avoid higher prices in the coming months.
According to reports, Dell has already implemented price increases on several Pro and Pro Max notebooks and desktops equipped with 32GB of memory. The hikes usually range from $130 to $230 (approximately Rs 10,800 to Rs 19,100), depending on configuration. HP is preparing similar adjustments “across the board,” as confirmed by CEO Enrique Lores during the company’s November earnings call, citing “significant” memory cost pressures.
AI’s demand for RAM hikes laptop prices
The sole cause of the price hike is attributed to supply chain issues for memory storage. AI firms like Microsoft and Meta are requiring massive volumes of high-bandwidth memory for training large language models (LLMs), paying premium prices that prioritise AI orders over consumer electronics.
Major suppliers such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have committed much of their output to these high-value clients. SK Hynix has locked in its entire DRAM and NAND production through 2026, while Micron forecasts tight supply for the foreseeable future.
This shortage has spilled over into consumer hardware, affecting not only Dell and HP but also Lenovo (warning of shipment pressure), Framework (multiple price hikes since December), Corsair (cancelling low-priced preorders), and even Valve’s Steam Deck (facing intermittent stock issues). Industry heavyweights, including Apple, which has noted “significant” memory price rises impacting margins, and Intel, predicting no relief until 2028, have acknowledged the strain as well.
Impact on Indian market
Indian e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Vijay Sales have not yet reflected sharp increases, but experts warn that higher costs are imminent as manufacturers start adjusting pricing. Earlier forecasts from late 2025 suggested 15-20% hikes for laptops and desktops due to the same memory crunch, with some premium segments facing up to 30% increases owing to component costs and potential tariffs.
The situation is particularly challenging for entry-level and mid-range models, where memory chips now constitute a larger portion of production costs (up to 15-18% in some cases). Smaller brands with less negotiating power are hit hardest, leading to reduced configurations or outright price adjustments.