If you have recently received a quote for laptops, servers, or storage that felt higher than expected, you are not imagining it.
IT equipment prices are rising. And the reason is not a local issue.
The global market is facing what the industry now widely describes as a memory shortage, a significant tightening of supply for two of the most essential components inside every piece of IT equipment your business uses: memory (RAM) and storage (SSD).
Both are becoming more expensive. Both are becoming harder to source. And the effects are already being felt by businesses planning equipment renewals, infrastructure upgrades, and IT investments across every sector.
What Is Causing IT Equipment Prices to Rise in 2026?
The answer starts with two components most people never think about until they become a problem.
RAM is the memory inside a device. It determines how fast a laptop, desktop, or server processes tasks. SSD is the storage inside a device. It determines how much data can be saved and how quickly it can be accessed. Together, they are present in almost every piece of IT equipment a business buys.
Right now, both are in short supply, and the primary cause is the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Large-scale AI data centres are consuming an increasingly large share of global memory and storage production. Manufacturers are prioritising high-capacity, high-value components for AI servers because that is where demand is strongest and margins are highest. The result is that less supply is available for the rest of the market, including the laptops, desktops, servers, and storage systems that businesses depend on every day.
This is what the industry refers to as the memory drought: a structural supply and demand imbalance that is not expected to correct itself quickly. New manufacturing capacity that has been committed to is unlikely to reach full production before 2027 to 2028, meaning the pressure is real, ongoing, and not a short-term fluctuation.
What Are Gartner, Reuters and TrendForce Saying?
The signals from leading industry analysts are consistent and clear.
Gartner projected a 130% rise in combined RAM and SSD prices by the end of 2026. It also estimated that average PC prices will increase by approximately 17% compared to 2025, and warned that worldwide PC shipments could fall by 10.4% in 2026 as rising costs suppress demand.
TrendForce reported that conventional DRAM contract prices rose by 90 to 95% quarter on quarter in Q1 2026. For Q2 2026, it still expected further increases of 58 to 63% for DRAM and 70 to 75% for NAND Flash, the components used inside SSDs.
Reuters reported that memory prices had already doubled in Q1 2026 and were expected to continue rising in Q2.
IDC described the situation as an unprecedented memory chip shortage with effects expected to persist well into 2027. It also confirmed that record-high memory prices are already affecting global PC and smartphone markets.
Counterpoint Research, in April 2026, forecast that memory module prices would rise a further 50% from current levels through Q2, layering on top of the 90% surge already absorbed in Q1.
On the manufacturer side, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer, and ASUS have all confirmed price increases of 15 to 20% and contract resets as a direct response to the shortage.
The direction is clear. Multiple independent sources are pointing the same way.
What Does This Mean for Businesses?
The memory shortage is not just a challenge for technology manufacturers. It has direct and practical implications for any business that buys, plans, or budgets for IT equipment.
For businesses, the impact is already showing up in three main ways:
Higher prices. Laptops, desktops, servers, and storage are costing more than they did twelve months ago. Budget assumptions from 2025 may no longer reflect current market pricing.
Longer lead times. Sourcing specific configurations is taking more time. Popular specifications are harder to secure quickly. In some cases, lead times for larger orders have extended significantly beyond normal expectations.
Less flexibility. When supply is tight and prices are moving, businesses that delay decisions end up with fewer options, less room to negotiate, and more pressure to compromise on specifications or timelines.
The combination of these three factors means that IT procurement has become more time-sensitive. Decisions that could previously wait now carry a real cost if left too long.
Which IT Purchases Are Most Affected?
The memory shortage touches a wide range of equipment. Some categories are feeling more pressure than others.
Laptops and desktop computers are among the most directly affected. Memory now accounts for a significantly higher share of a device’s total cost than it did in 2025. TrendForce estimates that manufacturing costs for mainstream business laptops could increase by nearly 40%.
Servers and storage systems are under particular pressure because they use large volumes of RAM and SSD capacity. Enterprise-grade memory configurations are among the most constrained in the current market.
Networking equipment including routers, switches, and firewalls also relies on the same constrained memory supply chain, with pricing and lead time pressure mirroring that of servers.
Entry-level and mid-range devices are more exposed than premium configurations. Manufacturers are absorbing some cost pressure on higher-margin products, but budget and mid-range equipment is seeing the steepest relative increases.
Smaller businesses and organisations without long-term supply agreements are also more exposed than large enterprises, as they have less negotiating power in a constrained market.
Why Timing Matters More Than Ever?
This is not a shortage that is expected to resolve itself in the next few months.
IDC has stated that price stability in memory may not return until late 2027. New manufacturing capacity being built now is unlikely to come online in volume before 2027 to 2028. Some industry leaders have warned the pressure could last even longer, with SK Group, one of the world’s largest memory manufacturers, suggesting the shortage could continue until 2030.
For businesses, this means one thing clearly: waiting for prices to stabilise before making a decision is a strategy that carries increasing risk.
In markets like ours, where ordering cycles and international lead times already add time to procurement, the window for comfortable planning is narrower than it appears. A decision that feels like it can wait six months may look very different when prices have moved further and availability has tightened.
What Businesses Should Do Now?
The right response is not alarm. It is early and informed action.
Review upcoming IT needs now, not at the point of urgency. If equipment renewals, infrastructure upgrades, or team expansions are on the horizon in the next twelve months, start those conversations earlier than you normally would.
Revisit your budget assumptions. Pricing expectations built around 2025 figures may no longer be accurate. Factor current market conditions into your planning before figures are locked.
Identify your most critical requirements first. In a constrained market, prioritising what matters most gives you more options and more time to source the right solutions without compromising.
Build more lead time into procurement. Do not plan around standard delivery windows. Some configurations are taking longer than expected to source, and that additional time needs to be reflected in project timelines.
Work with a trusted IT partner who is monitoring the market. Access to current information about availability, pricing trends, and sourcing options can make a meaningful difference when conditions are volatile.
How IT Solvz Helps Customers Plan Better?
The global memory shortage is real. It is already affecting IT equipment prices, lead times, and procurement decisions worldwide, and the timeline for resolution is measured in years, not months.
The businesses that plan early will be in a significantly stronger position than those that wait.
At IT Solvz, we stay close to these market developments because our customers need that visibility to make better decisions. We monitor supply conditions, track pricing trends, and work with our customers to make sure their IT roadmap reflects the market as it actually is — not as it was twelve months ago.
Whether you are planning a device refresh, a server upgrade, a new office setup, or a broader infrastructure investment, now is the right time to have that conversation.
Get in touch with the IT Solvz team and we will help you plan ahead with clarity and confidence.
Sources: Gartner (February 2026) · IDC (February 2026) · TrendForce (Q1–Q2 2026) · Reuters (2026) · Counterpoint Research (April 2026)