With memory prices rising, should you build a PC now or wait?

[Orbit Grace]

Memory prices have been climbing sharply, with manufacturers like Micron warning that supply will stay tight through 2028. AI data centres are buying huge amounts of memory, and consumer RAM, SSDs and even graphics cards are feeling the knock on effect. We have already seen the Nvidia Shield Pro jump in price, blamed on memory costs. For anyone planning a new build, it raises a tricky question

Some people argue that buying now is sensible, before prices rise even further. If shortages continue for years, waiting could mean paying more for the same parts. Others think the market is overheated and that prices will eventually fall, as they have after previous memory shortages. Memory has always been a boom and bust industry

There are also middle ground strategies. Buying a platform that lets you add more RAM later, reusing existing parts, choosing slightly older generation components or buying secondhand can all reduce costs. Some builders are holding off on upgrades and squeezing extra life out of their current machines

I was planning a new build this winter, but I am now tempted to upgrade my graphics card and keep the rest of my system for another year or two. I have sixteen gigabytes of RAM, which is fine for now, and buying more at current prices feels painful. This is not financial advice, just how I am thinking about my own spending

Would you build a PC now, or wait? And how are rising memory prices affecting your plans?