PC hardware prices aren't coming down, but that's exactly why you should build your PC right now

For most of us, building a new PC or even upgrading certain components is unthinkable right now, thanks to the ongoing memory and storage crisis. A DDR5 memory kit that used to cost $100 is now well over $400, and a 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD that could be had for around $120 last year now costs nearly $300. Over the last eight months, the bulk of the wafer supply has been gobbled up by AI data centers, leaving consumers to fight for overpriced scraps. However, if you were hoping for relief in the upcoming months or even in 2027, I'd like to reluctantly burst your bubble. All reports indicate that prices will only increase in the coming quarters, and will continue rising as we enter 2027. Major companies like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Valve, and Apple have already increased the prices of consoles and laptops, signaling that the long night has only just begun. So, if your existing PC isn't keeping up anymore, this might be your cue to build a new DDR5 rig while you still can.

Building a DDR5 gaming PC has not been easy this year

Or a DDR4 rig, for that matter

This nightmare started in October last year, but it became truly apparent only in January this year when RAM and SSD prices hit all-time highs. In case you haven't been keeping up, 32GB DDR5 kits shot up to over $550 before "stabilizing" between $420 and $520. Today, you will have to reserve at least $400 for a DDR5-6000 CL36 kit if you're switching to a DDR5 build. 2TB Gen4 SSDs also reached $500 before coming down to $300 in the last month or so. These two components combined represent at least a $500 increase in your budget, with all else remaining equal. What's worse is that all else hasn't remained equal at all. Graphics cards have remained consistently above MSRP during this time, with popular models like the RTX 5070 and RX 9070 XT being inflated by 15–20% right now.

So, conventional wisdom says that building a DDR5 gaming PC in these times is the worst idea. Many people are suggesting the DDR4 route instead, since DDR4 memory is still cheaper. However, the overall build cost of, say, an AM4 rig isn't too different from that of an AM5 rig with the same GPU. The cheaper memory makes the AM4 build around $200 cheaper, but you need to see that in the light of the compromises you're making, namely building on a dead platform and sacrificing significant gaming performance. All things considered, a DDR4 gaming PC isn't as affordable as people think, provided you want a modern GPU.

Hopes of RAM and SSD prices coming down are misplaced

Things are about to get much, much worse

The wafer shortage has affected nearly every major core component except the CPU. Production capacity hasn't increased in any meaningful way, and manufacturers have sold out years' worth of supply already. So, expecting a turnaround anytime soon is being naive. RAM prices haven't really gone up over the last 4–5 months, but they haven't shown any signs of coming down either. You still need around $420 for a 32GB kit of DDR5-6000 memory. And the worst part is that analysts have predicted that memory prices are set to increase by another 40–50% in the third quarter, followed by another 30–40% hike in Q4. Next year is set to bring another 40-50% YoY increase over this year's prices. Needless to say, things are about to get very, very bad.

Apple recently announced massive price hikes for almost all its products, and Xbox has already raised the prices of its consoles. Sony has hiked the PS5 models more than once in the last few months, and every other console, including handhelds, has seen significant price hikes this year. If you were waiting for a slight reduction in prices this year or even the next, it's time to abandon those hopes and build the PC you still can within your budget. The silver lining in this PC hardware hellscape is that GPU prices have remained steady, with the RTX 5070 and RX 9070 XT easily available for around $600 and $700, respectively. A $400 memory kit and a $300 SSD are crazy propositions, but they might be much better than what's coming in the next few months.

You can still build a 4K gaming PC for $1,600–$,1700

AMD for the win

$1,500 has generally been the ideal budget for an upper-mid-range gaming PC for the last few years. Before the component prices went batshit crazy, you could have built an RTX 5070 Ti rig on AM5 pretty comfortably. Today, however, you need to spend slightly more, i.e., around $1,600-$1,700 for about the same performance. The good news is that you can still build a 4K gaming rig at this budget on AMD's AM5 platform without settling for a last-gen GPU or 16GB of RAM.

Even at the current RAM and SSD prices, you can configure your build with a 32GB kit of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory and a 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD if you can spend around $1,700. The 4K-capable GPU for this build will obviously be the RX 9070 XT, which retails for just under $700. And the CPU you will pair it with will be the still-proficient Ryzen 5 7600X. This chip is frequently available for cheaper than the non-X variant, and the accompanying B650 motherboard will readily accept a future AM5 CPU upgrade. There are no compromises in the case, cooler, or PSU departments, thanks to a Phanteks case, Thermalright cooler, and MSI 80+ Gold PSU rated for 750W.

You can build this PC for close to $1,600 if you find the right deals for the same or similar components, but you'll have to act fast. I didn't pick the RTX 5070 Ti as that would have pushed this build into the $2,000 range. While ray tracing enthusiasts might be tempted to do it, I won't recommend it to anyone else. The RX 9070 XT offers the same rasterized performance, a comfortable 16GB framebuffer, and enough longevity to last you for another 3–5 years without upgrades.

We've not seen the worst of the crisis, which means PC builders need to act fast

All signs point to the memory and storage crisis getting much worse before getting better, if at all. Prices are set to increase significantly in the second half of 2026 as well as in 2027, taking things to a whole new level. PC builders who were waiting for things to improve should build a gaming PC while they still can. If you have $1,600–$1,700 to spare, you can still build a compelling 4K gaming PC without any compromises.