MacBook Neo vs. Surface: Why spiraling RAM prices are bruising Microsoft's PC business but not Apple's - ZDNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. High memory and storage prices are crushing the market, and Microsoft's Surface is suffering the most. So why is Apple's newest MacBook immune? Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. You think groceries are expensive? Wait till you hear what’s happening to the cost of the memory and storage chips inside that PC you were thinking of buying later this year. According to a recent Gartner report, the combined cost of DRAM and SSDs will increase by 130% by the end of 2026. The culprit, of course, is the insatiable demand for memory and storage from cloud providers building AI-related applications, and chip makers won’t be able to catch up with demand for another year or two at least. Also: Apple jacks up prices on its MacBooks and iPads – here’s how much more you’ll pay Those soaring prices are already having an effect on the PC market, and the effect on Microsoft is especially severe. This week, Windows Central reported that Microsoft has dramatically increased the prices of its Surface PCs. I can personally attest to those increases. In December 2025,