The Best Time to Buy a Laptop in 2026: A Data-Driven Buying Guide

Laptop prices have increased meaningfully in 2026. AI data center demand has shifted global memory allocation away from consumer devices, and every major PC manufacturer has implemented price increases of 15–45% depending on product tier. For most buyers — particularly those shopping for budget Windows machines, gaming laptops, or business fleet refreshes — purchasing before Q3 2026 avoids the next scheduled round of increases.

This guide covers the data behind the increases, identifies which categories are most and least exposed, and provides a decision framework based on your specific buying situation.

Why Are Laptop Prices Increasing in 2026?

AI data center memory demand is consuming approximately 70% of worldwide DRAM production, which has reduced consumer device supply and driven laptop component costs significantly higher.

The mechanism: Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon are purchasing DRAM and HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) at scale for AI server infrastructure. Memory foundries are prioritizing these higher-margin orders, which reduces allocation for consumer-grade DRAM and NAND flash. Laptop OEMs face higher component costs with limited ability to absorb the difference.

TrendForce's February 2026 forecast quantifies the impact: conventional DRAM contract prices surged 90–95% quarter over quarter in Q1 2026, with PC DRAM specifically more than doubling. Q2 2026 projections add another 58–63% QoQ on top of that.

How Memory Costs Have Shifted the Laptop BOM

• 2024: RAM and storage accounted for roughly 10–16% of a laptop's total component cost
• 2026: Memory now represents approximately 23% of BOM costs (Gartner)
• Combined DRAM + CPU share: Climbed from ~45% to ~58% of total BOM on a $900 notebook

When a single component category nearly doubles its share of manufacturing cost, OEMs have limited ability to absorb the increase — and most have chosen to pass it through to retail pricing.

A secondary factor: U.S. tariffs on advanced computing chips (25% as of January 2026) add to the cost increase. The tariff impact is smaller than the AI-driven supply reallocation, but for budget machines with thin margins, it contributes to higher retail pricing.

In late May 2026, Samsung Electronics averted a planned strike when 48,000 memory chip production workers accepted a wage deal one hour before an 18-day walkout was set to begin. The resolution avoided a supply disruption, but the situation reflects broader conditions in memory manufacturing: demand is strong enough that labor holds significant negotiating leverage, and supply-demand balance remains constrained.

What Have Laptop Manufacturers Announced About 2026 Pricing?

Every major Windows OEM has publicly communicated price increases for 2026, with cumulative increases ranging from 15% to 45% depending on brand and product category.

Asus has been the most transparent. Vice President Arnold Su stated publicly that a 32GB DRAM module that cost approximately NT$3,000 in 2025 jumped to nearly NT$20,000 by Q2 2026 — a sixfold increase at the component level. Asus expects unit shipments to still grow ~10% in 2026, but acknowledges demand may soften in H2 if retail increases continue at this pace.

Which Laptop Categories Are Most Affected by Price Hikes?

Budget Windows laptops and high-VRAM gaming machines face the steepest price increases due to their reliance on commodity memory. Premium business ultrabooks and Apple MacBooks are less exposed.

Highest Exposure — Budget Consumer ($300–$700)

These machines depend on commodity DRAM and operate on thin margins. When memory costs double, manufacturers either raise prices or reduce specs (less RAM, smaller SSDs) to hold price points. IDC data shows the sub-$600 laptop segment is already contracting. Gartner projects this category will become commercially unviable by 2028. A practical note for buyers in this tier: 16GB RAM should be considered the minimum for any laptop purchased in 2026. OS overhead, browser memory demands, and emerging AI features make 8GB machines a poor long-term investment, even at a lower price point.

Highest Exposure — Gaming Laptops

Large VRAM configurations (8–16GB dedicated GPU memory plus 16–32GB system RAM) multiply the per-unit memory cost increase. A gaming laptop with 48GB of total memory has proportionally more exposure to DRAM price increases than a business ultrabook with 16GB.

Moderate Exposure — Business Mid-Range ($700–$1,400)

ThinkPad L/E series, Latitude 3000/5000, EliteBook 600 series. These are the volume workhorses of corporate IT. Businesses with existing contract pricing have some buffer, but new purchases without an agreement reflect the full 15–20% already implemented.

Lower Exposure — Premium Business/Executive ($1,400+)

ThinkPad X1/T series, Dell XPS, EliteBook 800/1000 series. Higher base prices mean memory is a smaller percentage of total cost. Still expect some increase, but at lower relative rates than budget tiers.

Lowest Exposure — Apple MacBooks

Apple designs its own M-series chips with on-package unified memory, which reduces exposure to the commodity DRAM spot market. However, Apple is not fully insulated — MacBook Pro prices have already risen $100–$400 on M5 models, and Apple acknowledged "significantly higher memory costs" on earnings calls. The $599 MacBook Neo base model may face discontinuation as component costs climb. Less exposed than Windows equivalents, but still affected.

When Is the Best Time to Buy a Laptop in 2026?

Purchase before Q3 2026 if you need a budget, gaming, or fleet laptop. Wait if you are buying an Apple device or your current machine is functional.

Buy Now (Before Q3 2026) If:

• You're refreshing 5+ laptops for a business. Fleet pricing compounds the impact. In iFeeltech's Q2 2026 deployment of 35 Lenovo ThinkPads for a Miami healthcare client, we observed a $127 per-unit cost increase compared to identically spec'd models quoted in Q4 2025 — a $4,445 total budget overrun on one order. (For organizations weighing whether to buy physical hardware at all, Windows 365 Cloud PCs may offset some of the capital expenditure.)
• You need a budget-tier Windows laptop ($300–$700). This segment has seen the largest increases and spec reductions. Current inventory manufactured at older component costs is limited.
• You're buying a Windows gaming laptop. High VRAM configurations mean more memory per unit, which translates to higher per-unit cost exposure than most other categories.
• You've identified a specific in-stock model at current pricing. Inventory manufactured at 2025 component costs is unlikely to be replenished at the same price point once current stock sells through.

You Have Flexibility (Buy by End of June) If:

• You're buying a single mid-range laptop for personal or light business use. Price increases at this tier are moderate (15–20%), and buying within the next 4–6 weeks still captures near-current pricing.
• You're flexible on brand and can comparison shop. Memorial Day sales are running through May 25, and Amazon Prime Day arrives in June 2026.
• Your target is a recent Q1/Q2 2026 release. Newly launched models already reflect post-increase component costs — waiting won't save you.

Waiting Is Defensible If:

• You need a MacBook. Apple's in-house chip manufacturing provides partial insulation. The M5 generation price adjustment has already occurred ($100–$400 depending on configuration). Further increases are possible but likely smaller than Windows equivalents.
• Your current laptop is functional and you're upgrading, not replacing a failure. The math favors holding until memory markets stabilize (late 2027 at the earliest by most analyst forecasts) rather than buying at a local price maximum.
• You're a business buyer with a fixed Q4 budget. Plan to purchase in early Q3 — after Prime Day deals but before holiday demand premium.

Should You Lease or Buy Laptops for Your Business in 2026?

Device as a Service (DaaS) and corporate leasing convert a large upfront hardware cost into predictable monthly payments, which can be locked at current rates before further increases take effect.

This is relevant for businesses facing a multi-unit refresh in 2026. When prices were stable or declining, outright purchase was typically the better financial decision. With component costs elevated and additional increases expected, locking a monthly rate at current levels provides predictability that outright purchase does not.

Device as a Service (DaaS) — Offered by Dell, HP, and Lenovo directly, plus third-party providers. Includes the hardware, lifecycle management, and typically a refresh at contract end (usually 36 months). Monthly costs are fixed at enrollment, meaning a DaaS contract signed in Q2 2026 locks pre-Q3 component pricing for the contract duration.

Traditional equipment leasing — A financial agreement for hardware rental without the managed services. Lower monthly cost than DaaS, but you handle deployment, repair, and end-of-life logistics. Useful if you have internal IT capacity (or a managed IT provider like iFeeltech handling the lifecycle).

When outright purchase still wins — If you have budget available now and expect to hold devices for 4+ years, purchasing at today's prices before Q3 increases is still the most cost-effective path. Leasing makes sense primarily when capital is constrained or you need to defer the expenditure into a future budget cycle. For a complete framework on timing and planning a hardware refresh, see our business hardware refresh planning guide.

How to Find the Best Laptop Deals in 2026

Check manufacturer outlets for pre-increase inventory and compare current sale prices against the product's typical street price over the past 90 days to confirm genuine discounts.

Memorial Day sales (through May 25, 2026) — Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are running laptop promotions. MacBook Air M5 15" models available at $1,099 (normally $1,299). Windows laptop discounts of $200–$500 are available on mid-range and premium tiers from current inventory.

Amazon Prime Day (June 2026) — Moved up from its traditional July window. Laptop discounts are expected, but worth noting: if additional manufacturer increases take effect between now and late June, Prime Day sale prices may be comparable to today's non-sale pricing. Use price tracking tools to compare.

Dell Outlet and Lenovo Outlet — An often-overlooked channel for business buyers. Both sell certified refurbished machines with full manufacturer warranties. Dell Outlet regularly stocks Latitude and XPS models at 20–35% below current new pricing. Inventory includes overstock, canceled orders, and short-use lease returns — not damaged goods.

Apple Refurbished Store — For MacBook buyers, Apple's own refurbished program offers full warranty coverage (identical to new) at 10–15% discounts. Every MacBook we've deployed from Apple Refurbished at iFeeltech has been indistinguishable from new out of the box.

Snapdragon X-series laptops (first-gen clearance) — With the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Plus launching in Q2 2026, first-generation Snapdragon X Elite devices (Surface Laptop 7, Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x) are seeing clearance discounts of up to $1,350 off. These ARM-based Windows machines deliver 16–22 hour battery life and are worth considering for business users whose workflows are compatible with Windows on ARM. App compatibility has improved substantially since launch, though specialized x86 enterprise software should be tested before fleet commitment. For a deeper comparison of ARM vs. Intel/AMD for business use, see our ARM vs. x86 business laptop guide.

The refurbished market as a budget path — With the sub-$500 new laptop segment contracting, certified refurbished business-class machines (2–3 year old ThinkPads, Latitudes, EliteBooks) are becoming the primary option for budget-conscious buyers. A three-year-old business laptop typically offers better build quality and comparable performance to a brand-new budget machine at half the cost. The refurbished laptop market is projected to reach $23.9 billion in 2026 (Future Market Insights), growing at 10% annually as new-device pricing increases redirect more buyers to the secondary market.

Which Business Laptops Are Worth Buying Right Now?

For organizations purchasing today, these models represent strong value at current pricing with verified availability.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 — Intel Core Ultra Series 2, vPro manageability, outstanding keyboard. Starting around $1,249 before sale pricing. The safe bet for business teams. See our full ThinkPad vs. Dell vs. HP comparison.

Dell Latitude 5450 — Dell's mid-range commercial sweet spot. Excellent Intune/Autopilot support, 14+ hour battery, $1,100–$1,300 range. Covered in our ThinkPad vs. Dell vs. HP comparison.

MacBook Air M5 (13" or 15") — Best value in Apple's lineup. 18-hour battery, 16GB unified memory base. Currently from $949 (13", sale) to $1,099 (15", sale). More price-stable than Windows equivalents. See our MacBook buying guide for 2026.

HP EliteBook 860 G11 — HP's enterprise flagship. Wolf Security hardware protection, vPro, MIL-STD-810H. Premium pricing ($1,400+) but the most hardened security posture on this list. See our premium business laptop roundup.

For fleet deployments (10+ units), our business deployment laptop guide covers procurement, MDM compatibility, warranty programs, and volume pricing channels. For the full roundup across all tiers, see our business laptop picks for 2026.

Related Resources

• Top 10 Business Laptops for 2026 — Our full business laptop recommendations across all tiers and budgets.
• ThinkPad vs. Dell Latitude vs. HP EliteBook — Head-to-head comparison of the three dominant business laptop lines.
• Which MacBook Should You Buy in 2026? — Full guide to Apple's current lineup including the M5 generation.
• MacBook Air M5 vs. M4 Upgrade Guide — Whether upgrading from an older MacBook makes sense given current pricing.
• Best Laptops for Business Deployment — IT manager's guide to fleet purchasing, MDM, and manageability.
• Business Hardware Refresh Planning Guide — Procurement timelines, budgeting frameworks, and deployment checklists.
• ARM vs. x86: Which Processor for Business Laptops? — Evaluating Snapdragon and Apple Silicon against Intel/AMD for business workloads.
• Copilot+ PCs for Business: Worth the Investment? — NPU and AI feature ROI analysis for 2026 laptops.
• Windows 365 Cloud PC vs. Traditional PCs — Whether cloud desktops make sense as an alternative to purchasing hardware.
• Best Laptop for Accountants and QuickBooks — Role-specific laptop recommendations for financial professionals.