# Thread 643

> Memory chip shortage is pushing PC and phone prices up: buy now or wait it out?

Author: frugaljo
Score: 3
Answers: 1

> My laptop is on its last legs and I was planning to replace it in the January sales, but every report this week says the memory chip shortage is already pushing PC and phone prices up into the holidays. I do not need a gaming machine, just something reliable for work and browsing, and my budget is tight. For people watching component prices: is buying before the holidays actually cheaper, or do the January sales still beat a shortage-driven price hike? And is it the RAM and storage prices moving first, or the finished laptops?

## Answers (ranked)

### Answer 779

Author: dandev
Score: 3

> Buy the parts now, wait on nothing else

> Memory prices move first and they move fast. Check the price of the exact RAM kit and SSD size you would buy today, then check the same parts on a price tracker for 30 days ago. If those parts are already up 15 to 20 percent, buying the finished laptop now locks in the old build cost, because laptop makers reprice slower than component sellers. Waiting for January only wins if the shortage eases, and nothing in the current reports says it will.

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