Asus warns of PC price hikes due to memory shortages

The cost of building or buying a PC is set to skyrocket in the coming months, as Asus joins MSI in becoming another major manufacturer to signal incoming price increases. Yi-Hsiang Liao, GM of the Asus Joint Technology Systems Division, confirmed during a recent Zenbook A16 launch event that the company plans to raise prices by up to 30% across its PC lineup starting next quarter. 

As reported by UDN (via Wccftech), the primary driver behind this adjustment is the volatile memory market. Liao provided an example of current inflation, noting that a standard 32GB memory module that cost approximately 3,000 NTD last year is now approaching 20,000 NTD. This is further compounded by a shortage of CPUs from both Intel and AMD, with vendors reportedly struggling to secure enough mainstream and entry-level chips.

The price hike mentioned by Asus's GM is only for the Taiwanese market. However, while Asus has not officially confirmed if these specific price points will translate directly to overseas markets, it is highly unlikely that Western regions will remain insulated, as component costs are rising globally.

KitGuru says: Consumers are going to have to wrestle with an AI tax on components over the next year and possibly beyond. Eventually, new production lines will be built to satiate the consumer electronics segment, but this is not a quick or easy process, as it can take years to set up suitable chip fabrication facilities. 

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