Dell Commercial Laptop and PC Prices to Increase Due to AI Chip Shortage
On December 17, Dell will put up prices across its commercial products lines and a set internal document reveals this is immediately tied to an industry-wide shortage of memory and storage chips sparked by the astonishing demand of artificial intelligence.
How Much More will be added to Dell Systems
Price changes based on the configuration of memory (DRAM) and storage (NAND) in a device. The internal changes list says:
- Increase cost systems using 32GB of memory: $130 to $230.
- High-end configuration units use 128GB memory: will cost an additional $520 to $765.
- One TB SSD: comes with an extra $55 to $135 in cost to it.
- Laptops with an Nvidia RTX PRO 500 Blackwell GPU (24GB): will have costs increased by $530.
The related Dell sales rep, who declined to be named, holds that the average percentage increase for corporate clients would be somewhere between "10% and 30%" according to some specific contract.
The Reason AI Requires Huge Chip Consumption
Price increases are not specific to Dell. So, indeed, the entire PC industry grappling with this challenge, having major competitors like Lenovo and HP, faces the same problem. The core issue is the highest demand for DRAM and NAND chips from the tech companies developing AI infrastructure.
This has deprived consumers and commercial devices of supplies through the big three memory manufacturers, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. As Jeff Clarke, COO Dell explained, "We have not seen costs move at the rate that we've seen" unprecedented.
An Industry-Wide Problem with Long-Lasting Ramifications
Other major PC manufacturers are also alerting their customers. Lenovo has notified clients that current pricing will expire on January 1, 2026, due to the memory shortage. Similarly, HP's CEO has warned that prices might rise if needed.
According to market research firm Counterpoint, DRAM prices are expected to rise 30% in the final quarter of 2025 alone. Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at Technalysis Research, stated that the supply shortage is expected to continue throughout 2026, impacting all PC vendors.
Reflected in TrailForce's downward revision regarding its 2026 notebook shipment forecast from a modest growth to a year-on-year drop of 2.4 percent in mentioning the rise in component costs, which demoralizes the general demand.
How Dell is Preparing
In an email to sales, Dell acknowledges the rapidly tightening global supply of memory and storage. The company thus instructed its teams to "move decisively" in order to close deals and plan for future quarters to protect value for both the customer and Dell. The email warns ordering now for future delivery does not lock in current prices, however, indicating the volatility of the situation.
