Upgrading or building a new PC in the year 2026 is proving to be anything but a straightforward affair. DRAM pricing has shot through the roof thanks to AI-induced shortages and big memory manufacturers allocating their nodes away from consumer RAM, and as a result, the price of a few key PC components has become ridiculously expensive. Despite that, not all hope is lost, especially if you already have a rig. Depending on what your upgrade needs are, there's a good chance you'll be able to safely afford these 5 components in 2026 and beyond.
CPU
Unless you're jumping to a new platform
CPUs are one component that has stayed relatively untouched by the RAMpocalypse, but upgrades for many computers will usually require a platform change. Jumping from a last-gen DDR4 platform to a current gen DDR5 one means you have to pay the hefty RAM tax, but if you have a solid upgrade that's within your current socket type, it can be well worth the cash.
AM4 has been given a new lease on life due to DDR5 RAM prices, and if you're not already at the top of the Ryzen SKU, upgrading shouldn't cost you more than it usually would. If you're on a newer platform like AM5, you have a plethora of options.
Intel users are in a tougher spot, depending on which socket they're currently in. The upgrade paths aren't great in-socket for Intel platforms, given that they move pretty quickly from one to the next, but checking the used market wouldn't be a bad idea. Just be wary of 13th and 14th Gen chips due to the degradation problems they suffer—buying a used CPU from either one of those generations is a dice roll you don't need to take.
Storage
SSDs shouldn't go up much more
Despite some fear that DRAM shortages would spill over to NAND modules, it's yet to be seen how affected SSDs will be, but in the meantime, prices have only risen a bit. Solid state storage is still pretty affordable, and can be one of the best upgrades you can make. If you're on an older, DRAM-less drive, you can still grab PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 drives for good prices at the time of writing. PCIe 5.0 drives remain at a premium, though much of that speed is lost if you're just using it for day-to-day OS usage.
Monitor
Display upgrades should stay reasonable
Monitor upgrades aren't considered nearly enough by many PC enthusiasts, and that's a shame, because it can be one of the most transformative changes you can make to your day-to-day experience. An upgrade in display resolution and refresh rate can often dictate your next component-level upgrade, but if you have the headroom to make it work, jumping up in either spec can be a great way to juice up your setup.
I recently made the jump from a 1440p 180Hz IPS display to a 4K 240Hz OLED, and the difference was massive. I can safely say it was way more transformative than my jump from an RTX 3080 to an RX 9070 XT, though my monitor upgrade would've necessitated that GPU upgrade anyway.
Case and cooling
Has nothing to do with DRAM
Computer chassis never really expire, they just go out of style. Given that, you'd be forgiven thinking that a new case isn't an effective upgrade, but if you're on an older model with poor airflow or an aesthetic you don't vibe with anymore, cases can pretty much always be found for stable prices.
Cooling on the other hand, can expire in more ways than one. If you're on an AIO water cooling solution, pumps, fittings, and tubes all have lifespans that can lapse within the usable window of the rest of your components. If you upgrade components themselves, the thermal load might increase enough to where you need a bump in cooling capacity, and that's when a swap in cooler would make sense. Coolers and cases are totally unaffected by the price of DRAM, so you should be fine buying either this year.
GPU
The used market always has deals
Source:Piano Reeves/Printables 
Source:Piano Reeves/Printables 
GPU pricing was a very hot topic in 2025, and 2026 will be no different. Unfortunately, DRAM pricing does affect GPUs, as they require GDDR modules. Despite that, prices haven't shot up in the same way that RAM has, and right now, you can still find new cards for non-eye-watering prices.
Better yet, checking the used market is always a good play when looking for components. If the price comes up enough on new GPUs, expect pre-owned ones to follow, but you should still be able to find something at a discount.
PC building isn't dead
There's a ton of doom and gloom about the future of PC building as a hobby, and to be frank, I don't totally buy into it. There's too big of a market for PCs and their components for it to go completely unserved forever. Prices might not return to pre-AI levels, but they can't stay this high for long. Despite the increase, though, the upgrades in this list are likely safe for the foreseeable future.
