Why PC Prices Rose in Singapore in 2026

Singapore’s PC price increases in 2026 were tied to a global competition for components: expanding AI data centres were drawing on supplies of memory, storage and graphics hardware also needed for consumer computers. IDC’s reported second-quarter averages show increases across laptops and desktops, with gaming desktops rising the most among the categories listed below.617

How much did PC prices rise?

These are reported Singapore category averages for the second quarter, not price changes for every model or configuration.2434

PC category	Q2 2025 average	Q2 2026 average	Year-on-year rise
Regular laptops	About S$1,300	S$1,650	26%
Regular desktops	About S$1,100	S$1,410	28%
Gaming desktops	About S$1,330	Nearly S$1,860	39%
Gaming laptops	S$2,460	S$2,890	17%

The laptop figure is reported for regular Windows laptops; one account describes a standard example with 16GB of RAM. The available figures do not establish a standard processor or storage configuration, so the averages should not be treated as a like-for-like quote for a particular machine.12 Nor do they isolate the effect of discounts on older stock.24

Why RAM and other components became more expensive

Reporting on the Singapore market links the shortages to the expansion of data centres supporting AI services. Memory has been the most conspicuous pressure point—sometimes described as “RAMageddon”—but storage and graphics-card supplies have also tightened.1617

A reported Sim Lim Square comparison illustrates how much faster some individual parts rose than the average price of a complete PC:734

Component	August 2025	August 2026	Approximate rise
32GB dual-channel DDR5 RAM	S$195	S$763	291%
1TB internal SSD	S$149	S$328	120%
Nvidia RTX 5060-series 8GB graphics card	S$572	S$824	44%

Those are comparisons for specified components, not a price index for all RAM, SSDs or graphics cards. Earlier in 2026, Sim Lim Square retailers also reported sharp RAM increases over much shorter periods, underscoring how much a quoted price can depend on the product and date.11 The supplied comparisons do not establish a reliable before-and-after figure for a 4TB hard drive or quantify September motherboard increases.

The evidence supports the broader link between AI infrastructure demand and constrained consumer-PC supplies. It does not establish how much production manufacturers redirected to higher-margin enterprise customers or quantify a reduction in graphics-memory output.617 Separately, manufacturer PC Partner warned that graphics-card shortages and rising costs could push PC prices higher later in 2026, particularly for entry-level machines; that was a warning, not a measured further increase.18

What the squeeze means for retailers and buyers

Some Singapore retailers reported PC sales declines of 20% to 80% as customers postponed purchases, according to a summary of the original reporting. That range describes experiences at some shops, not a market-wide sales decline.17 The available reporting does not reliably separate the effects of component prices from broader economic uncertainty, or quantify how rent, corporate orders and enthusiast spending changed individual shops’ finances.

For buyers, the figures argue against assuming that waiting will quickly restore 2025 prices. IDC expects PC prices to remain high through 2027, with only a slight dip anticipated toward the second half of that year.6 Other reporting presents more meaningful relief in 2028 or later as a possibility, not a guaranteed date.1734 If a computer is needed now, comparing current configurations and prices is more useful than relying on an assumed market-wide price drop; an optional upgrade offers more flexibility to wait. The supplied evidence does not provide a sound like-for-like comparison with Apple’s announced price increases.