Framework 'held off as long as we could' but just cranked up prices of its Desktops and Mainboards
Framework, our favourite maker of modular laptops, has announced the inevitable. It is ramping up prices for its Desktop and Mainboard offerings. When the company increased prices for laptop memory late last year, it managed not to crank up Desktop and Mainboard prices. But no longer.
In an updated blog post, Framework says that memory prices from its suppliers "continue to increase rapidly". Apparently, 128 Gbit chips have been hit hardest by the price spikes. And it's those chips that go into 128 GB configurations. And thus it's the 128 GB option that's been hit hardest.
By way of example, until these price changes, Framework was charging $799 / £799 for a 32 GB Framework Desktop Mainboard with the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 chip. Now it requires $839 / £839, so not too painful a premium.
Step up to the 64 GB variant with the AMD Ryzen AI Max 395 and $1,299 / £1,299 has become $1,339 / £1,339. Again, that's not entirely catastrophic. So, the real pain is reserved for the 128 GB option with the AMD Ryzen AI Max 395. That was $1,699 / £1,699. But it's now $2,159 / £2,159.
Framework says, "we will of course honor the original pricing for any existing pre-orders," which is good. The company also emphasises that it has limited price increases to cover costs and no more, "using Weighted Average Cost of inventory to handle the rapid fluctuations in memory purchase prices."
Back in December, of course, Framework announced a 50% hike in memory prices for its laptops. Currently, when you order a Framework 13 you're looking at $160 for 16 GB in 2x 8 GB format and $320 for 32 GB, again in dual-channel config.
Framework also called out Dell and Apple for gouging customers on memory around the same time, but did at least signal that it, too, would have to increase prices eventually.
Just to add an ominous suffix to the whole affair, Framework does not think the outlook regarding the ongoing RAMpocalypse looks terribly rosy. "The memory outlook as we enter 2026 continues to get worse. From what we learned in meetings throughout the week at CES with suppliers, distributors, and partners, it’s clear that this is going to be a challenging year and possibly even years for consumers," the company said.