Costs skyrocketed! The increase in memory and CPU will cause the price of mainstream laptops to increase by 40%

[ Gearbest Technology News]On March 10, TrendForce released its latest laptop industry research report. The report shows that the global laptop market is facing severe rising cost pressure in 2026. As memory prices continue to soar and CPU prices begin to rise, the purchase cost for end consumers may increase significantly. The report estimates that if the original profit structure of brand manufacturers and sales channels is to be maintained, the terminal selling price of a mainstream laptop with an original recommended selling price of US$900 may increase by close to 40%.

The agency pointed out in the report that after entering 2026, the supply of DRAM and NAND Flash for laptops will become significantly tighter. Not only will prices continue to rise, but the problem of parts length and material shortage will also become increasingly prominent. The research institute estimated using a mainstream laptop priced at US$900 in the first quarter of 2025 as a benchmark model. Originally, the combined proportion of DRAM and solid-state drives in the BOM (bill of materials) cost of the entire machine was close to 15%. However, after rapid price increases in the past few quarters, it is estimated that this proportion will reach more than 30% in the first quarter of 2026. This alone may force the terminal selling price to increase by more than 30% to maintain the original profit level.

Unfortunately, the core cost pressure of notebook computers does not only come from memory. Through supply chain interviews, the agency found that Intel has adjusted the quotations of some entry-level and old-generation laptop CPUs by more than 15%, and plans to increase the prices of mainstream to mid-to-high-end platforms in the second quarter of 2026. The CPU is originally the component with the highest proportion in the BOM of laptops, and its price increase will further push up the manufacturing cost of the entire machine.

The report analyzed that if the prices of memory and CPU are raised at the same time, the combined proportion of the two in the BOM will surge from the original 45% to about 58%. This constitutes a direct driving force for the terminal selling price to rise by nearly 40%.

In addition to price factors, CPU supply stability has also fluctuated. The agency pointed out that due to the strong demand for AI-related computing, upstream advanced process and packaging resources are tilted towards high-performance computing products, occupying some entry-level and low-end CPU production capacity. Currently, Intel's low-end platforms are experiencing tight supply and unstable distribution. Although AMD's CPU supply has been relatively stable due to its increased competitiveness and brand diversified procurement strategy, there have been concerns about shortages in some of its low-end platforms recently, indicating that tight CPU supply is spreading to the entire market.

The agency believes that changes in memory supply and CPU price strategies in the next few quarters will become the key to affecting global laptop shipment performance and brand competition. First-tier brands may be more resilient in dealing with current challenges due to their procurement scale and partnerships, while small and medium-sized brands face more significant cost pressures and shipment risks.

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