Summer PC Price Surge: Budget Models Shrink, High-End Laptops Exceed RMB 10,000, Memory Costs Persist to

During the summer of 2026, the PC market has seen a notable wave of price increases. Budget models priced under RMB 4,000 are gradually disappearing from mainstream sales channels, while high-end laptops commonly exceed RMB 10,000 at the point of purchase. Consumer feedback indicates that a thin-and-light laptop purchased for RMB 5,000 in February 2026 now costs nearly RMB 8,000 for the same model. A high-end gaming laptop from a certain brand that sold for RMB 9,000 in 2025 has risen to RMB 15,000 for the same configuration. Dealers report that mid- to low-end models in the RMB 4,000-5,000 range have typically increased by RMB 2,000-3,000, while premium laptops at the RMB 10,000 level have seen increases of around RMB 1,000, as high-end products enjoy thicker profit margins and greater pricing flexibility.

Rising costs of key components such as memory are the primary driver of this price surge. Demand from AI infrastructure has pushed memory prices up since the fourth quarter of 2025. Memory manufacturers have redirected new capacity toward HBM and server DRAM, squeezing out capacity for consumer-grade memory and flash storage, which has significantly increased the share of storage costs in finished systems. Beyond memory, other components in the PC supply chain, including driver ICs and power management chips, have also signaled price increases, collectively raising bill-of-materials costs. The supply-demand mismatch is unlikely to ease in the short term, with cost pressure persisting throughout 2026.

In terms of market performance, high-end gaming laptops and professional mobile workstations have seen the most significant increases, while standard office laptops have risen more moderately. Since the start of 2026, overall PC prices in China have trended upward, with high-end office and gaming laptops experiencing larger gains. Upgraded configuration demands from consumers, along with a rising share of high-end products in both commercial and consumer markets, have further contributed to the growth in overall PC market prices.