High AI demand could see dramatic shift in 2026 market dynamics

Vendors can’t build servers and storage without components – and they can’t build laptops without them either. And the huge demand for hardware to power the growth of AI in 2026 could push the price of client devices up over the next few months. If your customers have been putting off upgrading their systems, they may need to act swiftly to get the best possible deal.

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► Memory shortages pushing client device prices higher

► Meeting demand for AI power is taking priority

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The tech media is awash with stories of possible price hikes on PC products. While much of the concern is for the likely impact on the RRPs of gaming systems, B2B products are also going to be affected.

According to a report from Trendforce, some vendors are already planning to apply rises of up to 15% or more in early 2026. Vendors have been forced into acting by the twin factors of high demand for hardware to drive AI, and high memory prices, which themselves are being driven upwards by the voracious demand for AI. Memory was already in short supply, with prices rising by as much as 70% last year (2025). With memory accounting for around 15% of the cost of a PC, this kind of increase is significant for vendors.

A further effect here may be that vendors feel compelled to direct much of their allocation of memory to server builds. In the race for supremacy, providers, developers, and enterprises who are building up their AI capabilities are willing to pay a higher price to get the hardware they need, which makes building servers and storage more profitable. The same thing is happening at component level, with DRAM producers focusing on more profitable chipsets for use in AI systems, exacerbating the shortage and pushing prices up even more.

The upshot of all this is likely to be a shortage of client devices – the vendors simply don’t have the components to make them – and higher prices. You will have probably seen some increases by the time you read this article, and the laws of supply and demand will keep prices elevated for some time. The bottom line is that you should encourage customers to make upgrade decisions and place orders very soon indeed as stocks could dwindle quickly.