The hidden cost of the RAM crisis: why memory prices might not be your only
PC upgrade worry

Date:
Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
Upgrading your PC often means buying more than just expensive RAM, especially if compatibility issues are in play.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The RAM crisis is everywhere
you look these days, and its impossible to go a day without seeing more headlines predicting doom and gloom for tech lovers worldwide. But theres another side to this grim situation one that I wouldnt even have thought about if it wasnt directly affecting me.

It all comes down to the hidden costs of upgrading your PC , costs that sky-high memory prices have stretched to breaking point. Because for certain people, picking some new components for your computer is more complicated
than simply wincing as you add a new set of memory to your online basket.
When one new part necessitates changing several others, costs can balloon and upgrading becomes a whole lot more daunting. Theres not been much
conversation about this, but its a very real problem for a lot of people. And with the RAM crisis showing no signs of abating any time soon, its likely to claim more victims as the months roll on. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: A galling prospect (Image credit: GSkill) My gaming PC is starting to show its age. Aside from a new Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti that I somehow managed to get at below retail price last year (dont @ me), its not exactly running on the newest hardware.

Its powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU from 2020, a B550 motherboard, and 32GB of DDR4 memory. Ive noticed it slow down and struggle in certain tasks, so Ive been thinking about upgrading. The problem for me, though, is that
this is a much more involved process than simply buying a new CPU or a fresh set of RAM. You may like The RAM crisis just hit a new low here's my expert advice on what to do The RAM crisis will last 'quite a few years' says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Memory expert predicts huge RAM price hikes over the rest of 2026

Because my 5600X CPU is part of the final desktop AM4 generation, any upgrade would mean stepping up to AM5 . And because were talking about a different platform, Id also need to purchase a new motherboard and set of memory
modules to ensure that everything is compatible (AM5 only supports DDR5 RAM).

And now my problem becomes apparent. This is not just a simple swap out situation I need to rip out and replace half of my rig if I want to freshen things up. I cant just snap up a speedy new CPU and be done with it. Get
daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

In any ordinary timeline, that would be a costly undertaking, but not one
that could potentially bankrupt you. Now, though, its a very different situation and a substantially more expensive one because my existing DDR4 memory would need to be replaced, opening me up to a whole new world of pricing pain.

Tot up the combined outlay for all the new components and its enough to put anyone off. Thanks to the RAM crisis, my mooted upgrade is a far more galling prospect than would normally be the case and it doesnt look like things are going to get better any time soon . Work out the true costs involved (Image credit: Shutterstock / Stenko Vlad) For people like me who are looking to change from one hardware platform to an entirely new one, the memory shortage takes on a whole new level of pain. Its a hidden cost that not everyone
thinks about when they look at the soaring costs of RAM. What to read next
SSD retail market has 'almost disappeared' and DDR5 RAM prices won't drop AMD Radeon GPU prices might be going up amid the RAM crisis Pricier CPUs could be coming, and RAM pricing is already getting worse

If you find yourself in a similar situation, youve got two choices: wait it out and accept lower performance than youd like for longer than youd like, or stump up a much weightier pile of cash than youd ever hoped to. Its not exactly a win-win scenario, but were short of options at the moment.

If you can upgrade other parts of your rig, as I did with my graphics card, take that opportunity to lock down gains where you can. Of course, even that is a money-gouging endeavor, but GPU prices havent quite kept pace with those of RAM or storage in recent months although recent reports suggest theyre about to get much worse . Now could well be the time to act.

And if youre considering changing any part of your PC setup, think carefully about all the costs involved. That means looking beyond the one component you want to upgrade and considering any knock-on effects that might be created thanks to compatibility issues.

That could lead to a rather unpleasant dose of sticker shock when you work
out the true cost of your PC upgrade. But the last thing you want is to be surprised when you go to pull the trigger and see how much you really have to spend. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best DDR5 RAM
for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best DDR5 RAM 1. Best overall: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 2. Best budget DDR5 RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 3. Best easy-to-install RAM: Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/memory/the-hidden-cost-of-the-ram-crisis-w hy-memory-prices-might-not-be-your-only-pc-upgrade-worry


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