PC prices in world's second-richest country surge nearly 40%

The average price of a gaming desktop jumped from about S$1,330 (US$1,040) in the second quarter of 2025 to nearly S$1,860 a year later, according to the latest data from market research firm IDC.

Regular desktops became 28% more expensive over the same period, rising to an average S$1,410, while regular Windows laptops rose 26% to S$1,650.

Gaming laptops recorded a smaller increase of 17%, from S$2,460 to S$2,890.

The increases are largely driven by shortages of memory, storage and graphics cards as technology companies race to build data centers for AI services. Ho Jin Wei, an associate research analyst at IDC Asia Pacific, said manufacturers are prioritizing more profitable memory components for AI infrastructure over those used in consumer computers, The Straits Times reported.

Computer memory has been hit particularly hard. The average price of a 32GB dual-channel DDR5 RAM kit surged 291% from S$195 in August 2025 to S$763 a year later, according to checks at Singapore's Sim Lim Square tech hub.

Storage prices have also risen sharply. A 1TB internal solid-state drive more than doubled from S$149 to S$328, while a 4TB internal hard drive rose from S$205 to S$336.

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060-series graphics card with 8GB of memory rose 44% to S$824.

Home office setup featuring a desktop, laptop and accessories. Photo from Pexels

The pressure could intensify. Jefferies Equity Research analysts forecast memory chip prices to rise another 30-40% in the fourth quarter, according to tech news site Mashable. Prices are projected to increase 40-45% year on year in 2027.

Memory manufacturers including Samsung and Micron have already committed substantial production to companies building AI data centers, reducing supplies available for consumer devices such as PCs, smartphones and game consoles.

Micron has warned that memory shortages could persist into 2028. Hard drive manufacturer Western Digital said in February that its seven largest customers had bought its entire storage supply for 2026 and were already securing supplies extending into 2028.

The shortage has also reshaped the secondhand computer market in Singapore, the world's second-richest country by GDP per capita in 2025, as some resellers dismantle used laptops to sell their RAM and storage drives at premium prices.

But soaring prices are hurting PC retailers, with some Sim Lim Square stores reporting sales declines of 20-80% this year compared with 2025.

Prices are unlikely to return to previous levels soon. IDC expects PCs to remain expensive throughout 2027, with only a slight decline possible in the second half of the year. "Any meaningful easing on PC prices is more likely a story for 2028 and beyond rather than in the near term," Ho said.

Bryan Ang, 38, who works in IT, had planned to buy a new PC but is now considering delaying the purchase in hopes that prices will fall.

"I’m not sure whether it’s actually a good time to buy now or if I should wait a bit to see whether prices will go down."