Framework announces price hikes for its Desktop and Mainframe systems due to RAMageddon
But they may come down again
š Framework has announced itās raising prices on the Desktop and Mainframe models due to higher costs from its suppliers
š° Owing to price rises due to RAMageddon, the prices of the 32GB and 64GB Framework Desktop models are up $40, while the 128GB variant is up $460
š¤ Framework is remaining transparent with consumers, saying that prices will come back down when the market settles down
š¤ The price rises are caused by the increased need for memory from AI and data centers and the associated diversion of production from manufacturers
RAMageddon has forced the hand of yet another manufacturer to hike prices up. The latest to be affected is Framework, known for its repairable and upgradeable laptops and desktops.
The latest price rises affect both the Framework Desktop systems and Mainframes in response to rising costs with its suppliers. Unlike Frameworkās configurable laptops, where folks can choose to provide their own RAM, the Desktop systems have soldered RAM which isnāt upgradeable.
Against when the systems were first announced in February 2025, prices are going up by $40 for the 32GB and 64GB models, although the 128GB model now costs an extra $460.
That means current pricing is $1139 for 32GB, $1639 for 64GB and $2459 for 128GB.
There is a small silver lining for consumers, though. Framework is continuing to remain transparent with its buyers, and has said that prices will be reduced when the market settles down. In addition, original prices will be honored with existing pre-orders.
The memory shortage, or RAMageddon as itās being called colloquially, refers to the current shortage of RAM chips from sticks to graphics cards and more besides, which has caused prices to skyrocket in the last couple of months.
The reason for this is the increased need for data centers and AI, and the fact that RAM production has shifted to satiate the needs of big business rather than consumers.
With this in mind, this isnāt likely to just affect consumer PCs and laptops, and has the potential to extend into the console market, too. For instance, Nintendo hasnāt ruled out future Switch 2 price hikes due to the RAM situation, while it may also affect Xbox and PlayStation, too.
Both Microsoft and Sony have already raised prices due to āglobal market conditionsā or a similar reasoning for both hardware and software, and this is likely to compound the issue even further. The Nvidia RTX 5090 could cost $5,000 soon if the shortage continues.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.