Framework has raised RAM prices for the third consecutive month, though the increase is smaller than previous hikes. The company is also increasing SSD prices on some capacities due to depleted inventory of lower-cost components.
Additionally, Framework reports limited supply of the Intel Core i5-1334U processor for its Laptop 12 model. The company attributes these component shortages and price pressures largely to AI infrastructure demands affecting the broader market.
Framework is communicating these changes transparently, positioning itself as offering components near cost despite market-wide shortages.
The main topics covered are RAM and SSD price increases, CPU supply constraints, and the impact of AI-driven demand on component shortages.
Framework raises RAM prices for the third time in three months, SSD costs up — company warns that it’s running out of stock on some Intel processors as well
RAM price increases are slowing down, but it's still not a sign that costs will start stabilizing.
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Modular laptop manufacturer Framework just dropped its monthly newsletter covering the memory and storage chip shortage, and it seems that the situation isn’t improving. The company said on its blog that it will still have to increase RAM pricing for the third month in a row, with DDR5 SO-DIMMs now costing between $13 to $18 per GB, depending on the capacity. This is a smaller amount compared to previous increases, which saw RAM prices jump from $10 to $13 per GB in December 2025 to $12 to $16 GB in February — an increase of about $2 to $3 per GB (compared to the $1 to $2 increase this month). Still, we will have to wait and see if memory prices will stabilize at this level or if we will see further increases in the coming months.
Unfortunately, the bad news does not end there. This is the first monthly update in which the company mentioned storage pricing, and the company said that it has already depleted its inventory of lower-cost components. Because of this, the company “needed to re-price some capacities to reflect those costs we are now paying for new orders.” Still, Framework says that it still has an existing inventory of 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB SN850X SSDs, one of the best SSDs you can buy in 2026, which is “substantially below market,” with the company encouraging its customers to purchase a Framework Laptop or Desktop right now if they want a lot of storage.
Aside from the AI-driven memory and storage shortages, Framework is also feeling the pinch when it comes to certain CPU models. It says that it’s already running into limited supplies of the Intel Core i5-1334U processor, which is used in the Framework Laptop 12 model, and that it's working on “ways to bring in more supply.” Increasing CPU demand is one side-effect of the AI infrastructure build-out, especially as we transition from reasoning AI LLMs to complete agents that require GPUs, NPUs, and CPUs to accomplish complete workflows. Intel has also been introducing and working on new CPU models, including Arrow Lake Refresh, Panther Lake, and Nova Lake, meaning it likely would want to focus production on these upcoming releases.
Article continues belowFramework has been transparent to its customers about the price increases on memory, storage, and even CPUs, and it has been diligently releasing updates monthly to keep everyone informed. This shows how it’s trying hard to be different, offering components severely affected by shortages as close as possible to their cost, and differentiating itself from other companies, like Dell and Apple, that put egregious markups on RAM and other parts upgrades.
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Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
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