If there’s one beauty of this 12 months’s CES, it is that it has been a pleasant distraction from all of the reminiscence crisis-induced {hardware} pricing doom and gloom. Admittedly, it is given us its personal share of gentle gloom with its personal costly merchandise and relentless give attention to AI, however that is by-the-by. Now the principle pleasure is out of the best way, although, we are able to get again to the actually bitter pricing stuff, beautiful. Stuff, in case you missed it, corresponding to Asus saying it will hike its costs.
As reported by Digitimes (through VideoCardz), a letter from Asus speaks about planning to regulate costs for “sure product combos” from January 5, 2026:

This, too, is seemingly making retailers elevate costs from different manufacturers, as “not solely did each retailer in Guanghua Purchasing Mall elevate costs on the fifth, however each laptop computer model offered by Moxun [a store the site visited] may also see a 20% worth improve beginning Monday.”
The trigger is—want I say it?—the AI-induced reminiscence scarcity. Asus explicitly states as a lot in its letter, though it additionally says “international demand within the PC and IT infrastructure markets stays sturdy.” I suppose that demand is the trigger, although, in order that tracks.
Simply flicking across the completely different huge on-line retailers, I do not see any huge Asus laptop computer worth hikes within the US simply but, however I suppose issues take some time to filter by way of. Many retailers will nonetheless be working with earlier shares, and lots nonetheless have nice offers on them. We have been instructed by retailer Overclockers UK explicitly that after product purchased at decrease costs sells out, they’re going to have to boost costs consistent with the upper prices charged to them to purchase inventory. With Asus not denying the credibility of this letter, it is absolutely only a matter of time.

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