The RAMpocalypse continues. Microsoft just revealed across the entire Surface line of products, . The updated pricing has already hit the official Microsoft Store, with other retailers expected to follow suit in the near future.
These are fairly significant upticks. For instance, the base model 15-inch Surface Laptop 7 now starts at $1,600. It cost $1,300 when the laptop was first released back in 2024. It did receive a price increase last year to $1,500, so today’s increase tacks on another $100.
The cost balloons even further when upgrading components, as a top-end Laptop 7 with a Snapdragon X Elite, 64GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage now costs a whopping $3650. As a comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro, 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD comes in at $3,300, and the .
Microsoft
This trend continues with the Surface Pro line of hybrid computers. The 12-inch Surface Pro starts at $1,050, after launching at just $800. The flagship 13-inch Surface Pro cost $1,000 in 2024 and now starts at $1,500. That’s a $500 increase in just two years, though the base hard drive did get a bit bigger.
These price increases are, of course, being blamed on generative AI’s penchant for . “Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating pricing on Microsoft.com for its current‑generation hardware portfolio,” Microsoft wrote in a statement.
Industry reports that the company is currently readying refreshes across the Surface line. It’s highly likely these new prices if component prices don’t decrease.
These aren’t the due to AI. Motorola recently instituted increases that even . Samsung has also pushed up the cost for its .
The PS5 when compared to the 2020 launch price, though Sony didn’t explicitly blame these increases on RAM, but rather “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” There are also rumors that the continued RAM shortage has made it difficult for and likely pushed back the release of the .
SSDs , with . It’s getting thorny out there.