2026 Memory Shortage: Why PC Hardware Prices Are Soaring

Since the beginning of 2026, building or buying a PC costs significantly more than it did twelve months ago. The main reason isn't a new generation of components, but a sustained strain on memory: GDDR used by graphics cards and NAND that makes up SSDs have become scarce and expensive. We explain what's happening and how to approach a purchase in this context.

AI Demand Dries Up Memory Supply

Demand related to artificial intelligence exploded in 2025 and 2026. Memory chip manufacturers redirected part of their production to high-performance memory for data centers, at the expense of consumer volumes. The result: less GDDR and NAND available for graphics cards and SSDs in the traditional PC market.

This reallocation creates a domino effect. When raw materials become scarce, their price increases, and this rise is reflected in the final price of components. Graphics card and SSD manufacturers buy their memory at a higher cost, and logically adjust their prices.

The phenomenon affects the entire chain, from RAM sticks to mid-range graphics cards, including storage. This is not a temporary peak lasting a few weeks, but a tension that has been in place for several quarters.

What This Means for Graphics Cards

The graphics card segment is the most visible. NVIDIA's Blackwell generation (RTX 5070, 5080, 5090) and AMD's Radeon RX 9000 are available, but their observed retail prices remain higher than the original recommended prices.

Concretely, in spring 2026, the difference between an RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and an RTX 5070 narrowed to a few tens of euros at certain times, blurring the usual benchmarks of the mid-range. Prices are slowly easing, but without a quick return to 2024 levels.

For a gamer, this means thinking in terms of current performance/price ratio rather than prices remembered a year ago. A card can become attractive at a given moment, then go up the following week depending on arrivals.

SSDs, the Other Major Impact

Storage followed the same trajectory. NVMe SSD prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026, driven by the tension on NAND. References that had become very affordable at the end of 2024 found themselves at significantly higher prices.

In this context, a few tips help limit the bill:

• Size appropriately: there's no need to aim for 4 TB if 1 TB covers your actual usage. A good capacity system SSD is often sufficient, with the option to supplement later.
• Monitor flash sales: prices change, and a good buying window may appear for a specific reference.
• Distinguish system and mass storage: a fast NVMe SSD for Windows and games, slower and cheaper storage for everything else.

How to Buy Smartly in 2026

In a tight market, the best strategy is to reason by usage rather than by superlatives. A balanced PC, where the budget is distributed between an adapted processor, a graphics card consistent with your resolution, and a sufficient amount of RAM, will age better than a configuration unbalanced by a single oversized component.

This is the approach we apply at DSGate: configurations assembled in France, designed to offer a consistent performance/price ratio at the time of purchase, with component choices regularly adjusted according to real market prices. When memory is expensive, the overall balance of a machine matters more than the race for the spec sheet.

If you are planning a purchase this summer, take the time to compare configurations rather than isolated components. You can browse our gaming PCs by budget on dsgate.fr to find the machine that matches your usage, without overpaying for one item at the expense of others.