Storage and memory prices surged in mid-August 2026, with RAM hitting a record 345 percent increase over September 2025 levels. SSD and HDD costs also climbed, reaching 126 and 129 percent respectively, surpassing the average price hikes recorded in July.
Specific hardware examples highlight the trend: a 32GB Patriot Viper DDR5 kit rose from 87 to 429 euros, while an 18TB Toshiba HDD jumped from 288 to 839 euros. ComputerBase's analysis of 12 popular products per category excludes eBay and Amazon offers.
The shortage is impacting major tech firms, leading Microsoft to raise Xbox Series X|S prices in early August. Meanwhile, Apple customers are experiencing multi-week wait times for MacBook Air models as component costs and supply constraints intensify.