Dell, Lenovo to Raise Server and PC Prices Up to 15% Amid AI-Driven Component Crunch

A new wave of price hikes is about to hit the global PC and server market, as Dell, Lenovo, and other major vendors prepare for significant increases driven by an accelerating DRAM shortage and overwhelming AI-related demand. Industry reports from TrendForce warn that component constraints—initially expected to peak in 2026—are already disrupting the market far earlier than anticipated.

Lenovo has begun notifying customers that all current server and PC price quotations will expire on January 1, 2026, after which new rates—up to 15% higher—will take effect. The company cites a rapidly tightening DRAM market as the primary trigger, with supply unable to keep pace with AI-fueled demand.

Dell may act even sooner. Sources say the company is considering a 15–20% price increase as early as mid-December. Dell COO Jeff Clarke has signaled the severity of the crisis, noting he has “never seen memory-chip costs rise this fast,” indicating that the shortage spans beyond DRAM into NAND, HDDs, and even advanced chip nodes.

TrendForce has responded by revising its 2026 notebook shipment forecast from +1.7% growth to a 2.6% decline, as vendors like Samsung, LG, HP, Dell, and Lenovo rethink their 2026 product strategies.

The crisis intensified further when Micron abruptly shut down its long-standing Crucial brand to divert resources toward high-margin AI clients. Lenovo executives warn that the industry-wide cost surge—especially in memory and SSDs—is “more dramatic than any player can mitigate.”

Manufacturers are advising customers to place orders immediately, as the next round of price increases is already imminent.