Mini PC maker says worth hike is pushed by rising DRAM and SSD prices

Minisforum, a producer of desktop mini PCs, stated that it’s elevating costs as a consequence of a rise in “uncooked materials” element prices. The culprits look like rising DRAM and flash reminiscence costs, the place the market is starting to fret and act upon attainable shortages.

Final night time, Minisforum posted a discover on X (through Tom’s {Hardware}) stating the corporate would implement a “slight worth adjustment as a consequence of rising world materials prices.” Notably, the corporate said that the “barebone (naked system) fashions and merchandise with out DDR5 reminiscence and/or SSD is not going to be affected by this adjustment at present.”

The corporate didn’t say how a lot costs can be affected, and whether or not the value hikes have been a short-term adjustment or just an general enhance. For now, different mini PC makers (in addition to laptop computer and desktop PC makers) haven’t adopted go well with, leaving open the query of whether or not or not Minisforum’s choice was an remoted one or whether or not it’s the proverbial canary within the coal mine, signaling catastrophe.

There’s proof to consider that the latter may be the case. Reminiscence and storage makers started sounding alarm bells earlier this yr, and the unstable element market has responded. Progress charges within the PC market have stuttered all through 2025, however the demand for added reminiscence and storage by AI firms has been insatiable, driving costs larger and quicker.

For instance, TrendForce, which watches the short-term “spot” market in Asia, lately reported that the value of a 16Gbit DDR4-3200 DRAM chip has spiked by 15.9 % in only a week. That isn’t helped by the truth that DDR4 reminiscence manufacturing is winding down, limiting the accessible provide. Easy economics says that costs will enhance in consequence.

“Module homes with stock at the moment are holding again, additional pushing costs up quickly,” the agency stated. “From the consumers’ perspective, although the demand for client electronics has not notably recovered, there’s a robust incentive to keep up secure stock ranges as a consequence of expectations of huge and ongoing worth hikes.”

Flash reminiscence for SSDs hasn’t escaped, both — the market seems to be panicking a bit, grabbing accessible flash reminiscence simply to have it readily available, which additional deteriorates market circumstances. “Attributable to low availability of spots, in addition to the final market consensus on additional room for increment in 4Q25, consumers at the moment are leaning in the direction of seizing merchandise to protect their stock, which additional intensified the constraints of spots,” TrendForce wrote.

Spots of 512Gb TLC wafers rose by 27.96 % this week, arriving at $4.576, the agency discovered. (Keep in mind, these are 512Gbit chips, so eight of them can be wanted to create a 512GB flash drive. And with flash drives now simply topping two terabytes and extra, all of those worth will increase add up.)

It’s all just a little unnerving, particularly as we glance forward into the vacations and conventional Black Friday gross sales. Will different PC makers observe Minisforum’s lead? Between the shortages brought on by hyperscalers and different AI firms, it’s beginning to appear like vacation offers could also be tougher to seek out in 2025.