The RAM crisis is hitting the tech industry hard, with the surge seeing everything from phones to laptops getting a significant price increase that’s already kicking off — it’s now cheaper to buy a pre-built PC than build one yourself. Now, Framework is calling out the likes of Dell and Apple for the huge cost bump between RAM configurations.
In a post on X, the modular laptop maker announced that it will “need to increase memory pricing soon.” This comes as no surprise, considering other major laptop makers like Dell and Lenovo are also looking to raise prices.
“We won’t use this as an excuse to gouge customers like Dell apparently has and that Apple does as their norm,” Framework commented.
Our upgrade from 16GB to 32GB of RAM is… $80. https://t.co/0MPUfQxx0W pic.twitter.com/VSTY6lkSF8December 9, 2025
This was in reference to a now-deleted post from YouTuber Max Tech, who shared a screenshot from Dell’s website showing the hefty $550 price jump on a Dell XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Plus CPU when upgrading from 16GB to 32GB of RAM. Understandably, the YouTuber expressed disappointment, and Framework wasn’t too impressed, either.
How much Dell is actually charging for more RAM
While there is a shocking gap between the prices, this isn’t currently the case on Dell’s website. As seen on the Dell XPS 13 listing page, the increase is a far more favorable $150. The post is now deleted, so there’s no telling how this sky-high cost came about. This could be due to an error on the site, but there’s another factor that could come into play.
When customizing specs on a laptop on Dell’s site, you can configure the CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD and more. However, when changing a certain spec, it can also change the rest of the configuration. As an example, when switching to 32GB of RAM from 16GB on a Dell 14 Plus, it will automatically change the processor to an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V to an Ultra 7 258V. This can significantly alter the price of the laptop.
All in all, Dell isn’t charging $550 for changing 16GB to 32GB of RAM, but Framework’s post still points out how RAM pricing will eventually affect laptops, PCs and more in a major way, as Apple is also mentioned.
For the MacBook Air M4, as an example, the jump between 16GB and 32GB is $400. That’s a considerable increase compared to what Framework and Dell charge, but the Cupertino tech giant has been charging these higher prices for years — well before RAMageddon. Will that cost go up? It’s looking likely.
Dell is focusing to ‘get supply’
With suppliers like Micron no longer offering consumer memory in favor of AI data centers, and others such as SK Hynix already selling out of DRAM for 2026 (via TechSpot), companies are certainly already feeling the pinch of where to get RAM from.
And this includes Dell. As The Verge notes, Dell COO Jeff Clarke states, “our focus is get supply” when speaking about the RAM crisis. Right now, the company is “advocating that we should get the parts we asked for,” indicating that Dell may be struggling to get the DRAM it needs to power its next set of laptops and PCs in 2026.
If this is the case, then there’s reason to believe that perhaps RAM upgrades in computers from Dell will see a major increase. Hopefully, not to that previously claimed $550 jump in cost.
As previously reported, Trendforce’s industry sources claim Dell is expected to raise prices between 15-20% as soon as mid-December, but it isn’t the only company going through these RAM crisis struggles. For now, there’s no telling how much Framework will increase its pricing on memory, but here’s hoping companies will follow suit to not “gouge customers.”
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