Bad news for those planning to upgrade their computers early this year. ASUS has sent an official notice to its business partners warning of a price adjustment that will take effect on January 5, 2026. The company justifies this decision as a necessary response to the “structural volatility” of the global supply chain, pointing directly to the rise of artificial intelligence as the main factor driving up manufacturing costs.
According to the letter signed by Liao Yi-Xiang, General Manager of the Systems Business Group, the industry is facing sustained upward pressure on the prices of critical components. ASUS specifically mentions the increasing costs of DRAM memory and NAND/SSD storage units. The reason behind this trend lies in the shift of production capacity among major suppliers, who are prioritizing the manufacture of advanced hardware for AI servers. This has created noticeable supply gaps in the traditional consumer market.
A Price Hike Timed Before CES 2026
The timing of this price adjustment is no coincidence. The new rates will come into effect just days before CES 2026, the world’s most important electronics trade show, where ASUS is expected to unveil its next generation of laptops and components. This suggests that the new products showcased in Las Vegas will likely debut with higher price tags.
In its communication, ASUS claims to have tried to absorb these rising costs for as long as possible: “This adjustment is a necessary decision after absorbing and responding to cost pressure over an extended period.” While the company did not specify which models will be affected, it mentioned that “certain product combinations” will see changes — which almost certainly means that any device heavily reliant on RAM and high-speed storage, from gaming laptops to workstations, will face an increase.
You can read the official statement here:
Letter on 2026 Product Price Adjustments
Dear ASUS partners and customers,
Thank you for your long-term support and trust in ASUS. In this new era of AI-driven computing, companies face both new opportunities and new challenges in operational planning. ASUS values our partnership with you and remains committed to providing up-to-date and reliable IT products and services, growing together with your team and creating shared value.
As we approach the end of 2025, global demand in the PC and IT infrastructure markets remains strong, driven by AI adoption. At the same time, structural volatility in the global supply chain is putting sustained upward pressure on costs for key components, particularly memory (DRAM) and storage components (NAND and SSD). These changes reflect shifts in capacity allocation by upstream suppliers, higher investment costs for advanced manufacturing processes, and increasing global supply gaps created by rising AI-compute demand. The impact is now being reflected across overall system planning and cost structures, and it has become an industry-wide challenge.
After carefully reviewing market conditions, supply stability, and our commitments to product quality, and while continuing to invest in technical R&D, ASUS plans to implement strategic price adjustments for certain product combinations starting January 8, 2026. This adjustment is a necessary decision after absorbing and responding to cost pressure over an extended period. The goal is to ensure stable supply, maintain quality and service levels, and continue supporting your long-term planning for key IT investments.
We understand the importance of these changes to your operations. An ASUS representative will contact you proactively to provide details and help plan appropriate response options or configuration recommendations to keep the impact as low as possible. We will also continue strengthening our manufacturing and supply chain management capabilities and work closely with our partners to support you as a trusted and dependable business partner.
Thank you again for your trust and support. We look forward to staying closely connected during this period, responding to market changes together, and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
Sincerely,
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
General Manager, Systems Business Group
Liao Yi-XiangDecember 30, 2025 (Republic of China Year 114)
