AI data centers are gobbling up memory as fast as it's manufactured. As companies push all their chips into the AI basket, GPU makers are shifting their resources to support the boom. The resulting memory shortage has had dire consequences for the consumer tech industry: Component prices are skyrocketing, supplies are dwindling, and everyday consumers are left holding the bag. Known colloquially as chipflation, the rise in GPU prices has vastly outpaced economy-wide inflation levels. According to a report by JP Morgan, by the end of 2026, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) prices will have risen by 400 percent since 2024.

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Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Windows 11 can run better on PCs with 8GB now, Microsoft says - here's why Lance Whitney is a technology journalist with an IT background. He's written for TechRepublic, PCMag, Macworld, and Time, among others, He also teaches classes in AI, cybersecurity, and social media. Microsoft touts speed and memory improvements in Windows 11. The enhancements are geared toward PCs with only 8GB of RAM.

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide 2026: Which XPS or Alienware Laptop Should You Buy? The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Microsoft says it can squeeze more performance out of 8GB of RAM, but those efforts may be in vain if other apps like Chrome don't follow suit. Five years ago, PCs with 8GB of RAM were seen as something to avoid.

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The MSI Pro Max Edge AI+ stands out with its minimalist 4L aluminum chassis and proprietary Frozr AI Pro cooling system. The MSI Pro Max Edge AI+ is a powerful compact workstation for local AI and large-scale media projects. The integrated power supply keeps the setup tidy. In the benchmark test carried out, the cooling system operated without thermal throttling. Weaknesses include the soldered-in RAM and the lack of OCuLink. The high price is an even greater drawback.

Microsoft has been working on some Windows 11 updates that it's starting to bring to all users after testing them with Windows Insiders. Among other things, the company said it made the operating system up to 20 percent more responsive, in part by improving memory efficiency and management. For instance, Windows 11 "can now keep up to 2GB more of your active data in memory instead of moving it to slower storage, helping your PC stay responsive as you open more apps or browser tabs," Navjot Virk, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Windows Experiences, wrote in a blog post. Virk noted that PCs with 8GB of memory may see "an especially meaningful difference." That's welcome, given that it's increasingly expensive to upgrade RAM in a PC.

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Windows defaults to 4KB clusters, which wastes space on large file partitions. In an age of 4TB SSDs and massive NVMe drives, many users tend to leave the entire storage space as a single, huge system drive. While this is convenient, from an administrative point of view it is a risky move that amounts to flying blind.

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Nice, Samsung's speedy T9 portable SSD is $115 off for Prime Day This deal almost brings the Samsung T9 back to last year's pricing. I've been hoping for SSD prices to drop at least a little during holiday sales--and thankfully, Amazon delivered by slashing the price of the Samsung T9, one of our favorite portable SSDs, down to just $335 for the 2TB model. That's an all-time low since February, when the prices of SSDs began skyrocketing.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. These October Prime Day deals let you save on storage. PC upgrades cost more than they used to. At least, if you're looking to get more storage space. AI data center buildouts have obliterated affordable prices for SSDs and hard drives.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. SD cards cost way more now. Here's how to make yours last Memory card prices have jumped. Get the most out of yours by understanding how they die and what you can do to keep them going. Thanks to AI data centers, consumer SSDs, flash drives, and SD/microSD cards have doubled or even tripled in price.