Buying or Building a PC in the RAM Crisis? Here's How to Avoid Paying the 'AI Tax'

Buying or Building a PC in the RAM Crisis? Here's How to Avoid Paying the 'AI Tax' | PCMag

Skip to Main Content

PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

(Credit: Tharon Green/PCMag/Newegg/Getty Images)

We're nearly a year into today's chronic shortage of PC memory (dubbed by many pundits "RAM-ageddon"), and it's showing no signs of slowing down. If your main-squeeze PC is getting old, you may not be able to avoid building a new desktop PC, upgrading your current one, or buying a new model under these wallet-scorching conditions.The biggest target to blame in this mess? The AI data center boom. The AI cloud giants have scarfed up an outsize share of production capacity for memory modules over the next few years, which has amped up module demand and tightened supply. (AI processing is extremely memory-dependent—the more you have, the faster and more advanced models you can run.) Leading memory manufacturers, such as SK Hynix, expect this to last into 2030. (Hey, some plucky engineers even built their own RAM modules from scratch...but you don't want to do that, do you?)I've been building desktop PCs for much of my life, and have tested and reviewed PC hardware for much of my professional career. I'm deeply experienced in tracking component costs in both my work and hobby time, so I'm a keen follower of PC-part price trends. You May Also Like

Here's my field manual to help you save as much cash as possible if you’re stuck buying, building, or upgrading a PC in this turbulent market.Option 1: Buy a Prebuilt High-Performance PC (Before It’s Too Late)I'll start with an obvious but crucial point: The newest high-end PC components generally provide the best possible performance. So let's start things off by looking at high-end options; it will give us a reference point for judging other possibilities.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Typically, a new high-end or top-end desktop will last longer than cheaper alternatives, delivering more processing power for a longer period. But buying a killer prebuilt PC will likely become a lot more expensive as those stocks of complete systems dry up this year. At the time of publishing, the prices for many prebuilt systems are holding from last year, and haven't seen the same kind of drastic spikes as components. That's because retailers purchased that stock at earlier, pre-RAM-madness rates. (Of course, it all depends on the system you're looking at and the asking price.)However, once manufacturers need to restock retailers this year, all bets are off. You will still want to check and compare the specs of any system you buy, as you’ll find high-end and low-end PCs in each new generation. And remember, a new low-end PC with the latest parts will likely be slower than a high-end PC that’s a generation older. So buying an old but discounted higher-end config is also a legit strategy for saving. High-End Future-Proof Desktops Worth Grabbing (Before Prices Rise) Alienware Area-51 (2025) Review

4.0 Excellent

$4,849.99 at Dell See It Corsair One i600 Review

4.5 Outstanding

$4,499.99 at Corsair See It Dell Precision 5860 Tower Review

4.0 Excellent

$7,050.37 at Dell See It Falcon Northwest FragBox (2025) Review