Looked online lately to build a desktop PC, or to upgrade your current one? You may have noticed a disturbance in The Force: wildly high memory and storage prices compared with just months ago. You’re not imagining things. Unprecedented demand for memory components, driven by booming AI data centers gobbling up all the memory it can get, has put a crunch on manufacturing capability for consumer RAM and SSD hardware. It’s expected to last for at least the next couple of years, and it has sent prices skyrocketing.
I’ve been watching the situation, and given my years of testing and reviewing PC hardware (not to mention tracking prices and deals on the same gear), I am very sensitive to the pricing upheavals we are seeing. I’ve put together a field manual to help you get through this pricing conundrum. If you’re stuck shopping for components in this tumultuous market, here’s how to upgrade, build, or buy a PC in 2026 without going broke.
Option 1: Buy a Prebuilt High-Performance PC (Before It’s Too Late)
I’ll start with an obvious but crucial point: The newest high-end PC components generally provide the best possible performance. So let’s start things off by looking at high-end options; it will give us a reference point for judging other possibilities.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Typically, a new high-end or top-end desktop will last longer than cheaper alternatives, delivering more processing power for a longer period. But buying a killer prebuilt PC will likely become a lot more expensive as those stocks of complete systems dry up this year. At the time of publishing, the prices for many prebuilt systems are holding from last year, and haven’t seen the same kind of drastic spikes as components. That’s because retailers purchased that stock at earlier, pre-RAM-madness rates. (Of course, it all depends on the system you’re looking at and the asking price.)
However, once manufacturers need to restock retailers this year, all bets are off. You will still want to check and compare the specs of any system you buy, as you’ll find high-end and low-end PCs in each new generation. And remember, a new low-end PC with the latest parts will likely be slower than a high-end PC that’s a generation older. So buying an old but discounted higher-end config is also a legit strategy for saving.
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Option 2: Upgrade Your Rig’s Other Key Parts (That Aren’t RAM)
Let’s say you already own a PC and were hoping to make some upgrades this year, to get some more life out of your system. To do that while spending as little as possible, you may want to avoid boosting your RAM and storage and focus on other components that are traditionally more expensive, like the CPU and GPU. At the time of publishing, we’re seeing prices for 64GB DDR5 RAM kits exceeding those of many midrange desktop processors.
With that in mind, you’ll need to check your motherboard’s generation and CPU socket type to determine which processors are available for upgrade without changing out the motherboard, too. If you’re looking at an Intel-based PC, the 14th Generation “Raptor Lake Refresh” (Core i5/i7/i9 14000 series) was the last to work on the LGA 1700 socket, whereas today’s “Arrow Lake” chips run on the newest Intel consumer-PC socket, LGA 1851. Upgrading to Arrow Lake would require a new board unless your system is very new. For this reason, this upgrade might not be as cheap as you’d like if you already run your PC on a 13th or 14th Gen Intel chip.
(Credit: Michael Justin Allen Sexton)
On the AMD side, CPU upgrades are more forgiving; the chip maker has iterated on the same AM5 socket for the past three generations, including the most current Ryzen 9000 series of desktop silicon. If you’re on AMD and haven’t upgraded the processor in a while, this might be a more economical way to keep up with performance demands. That’s particularly true for games, if you upgrade to one of AMD’s X3D series of chips.
Likewise, you might consider upgrading your graphics card, which will have the greatest impact on your gaming experience if gaming is your primary focus. (Better GPU acceleration can also help with content creation apps that leverage the graphics chip, and with local AI processing.) Essentially, any late-model graphics card will work on any modern motherboard via its PCI Express slots, so don’t worry about compatibility issues here, short of card size and power requirements. (It needs to fit in the PC case you have, and the PC’s power supply has to be rated for enough wattage to support it.)
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Just beware that graphics cards also rely on memory components of a different kind that are nonetheless affected by the supply crisis. Nvidia recently paused development of “Super” revisions of its GeForce RTX 50-series cards and pushed back the launch of its eventual RTX 60-series products, likely at least in part in response to this shortage.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The right GPU to buy depends on the model you’re upgrading from and your current budget. Graphics card prices were heavily fluctuating even before this memory shortage began, so buying into the latest AMD and Nvidia graphics now isn’t any riskier than it was before. However, GPU prices will likely only worsen as current stocks dry up, so act quickly. This uncertain pricing future might be reason enough to buy one of the latest desktop graphics cards this late into their release cycles. Being late to the current generation of graphics matters less today than it did in cycles past.
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Option 3: Opt for Capacity Over Perfect Module Matches?
Upgrading your system with more RAM may still be feasible for you if you can scrounge up deals on individual modules. Here’s how it works. First, determine the specific type of RAM your system uses (DDR3? DDR4? DDR5?), and check how many RAM slots it has available. Assuming it’s the newest type, DDR5, boo: DDR5 is getting hit the hardest. So we’ll concentrate on that here.
Almost all motherboards will have two or four of these. If you have just two (one of which is empty), all you need to do is buy another DDR5 stick and plug it in. You can also replace the existing RAM stick with one of higher capacity, but that’s not as cost-effective, as you’re essentially paying for memory twice.
Before buying DDR5 sticks blind, check your motherboard’s product page via its manufacturer’s website, where you’ll find lists of compatible processors and memory modules. Due to the extensive number of memory modules on the market, you won’t find all compatible models listed, however.
You can buy modules that aren’t on your manufacturer’s list of vetted modules (often referred to as a QVL, or Qualified Vendor List), but make sure you get RAM with the same basic specs as your system. Otherwise, it might not run at maximum speeds. If you’re supplementing existing memory, it’s best to match the capacity and peak memory speed of your desktop’s existing sticks. If you can get fully vendor-identical sticks, down to the model number on the modules, so much the better.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Memory upgrades are slightly more complicated if you have four RAM slots, as these operate in pairs called memory channels. As noted, ideally, in all four slots, you should always use RAM identical to what you are currently using, but in practice, this isn’t essential. Using mismatched RAM of different capacities and operating specs will usually work just fine, unless it doesn’t, which may manifest in instability. Just be aware that the RAM will generally default to a slower speed for maximum compatibility. You can adjust the speed in the BIOS settings, though, so you might be able to set it to go faster while maintaining stability.
For best results, however, you don’t want to mismatch modules within the same memory channel. Often, you can find out which RAM slots are part of the same channel by checking the fine print on the motherboard near the slots, or (better) the board’s manual. For the best performance, you will want some RAM in both channels. Switching from a single-channel configuration to a dual-channel one will net you a sizable boost in memory bandwidth, improving performance. Upgrading to RAM modules that (all) operate at higher speeds will also help to increase bandwidth and, therefore, performance.
While RAM modules with mismatched speed and bandwidth might limit how much extra performance you see, expanding your memory capacity (say, going from 16GB to 32GB) often has a more pronounced effect on performance than iterative tweaks to memory clocks and the like. So, using mismatched RAM modules to boost overall capacity is better than not increasing your PC’s total memory capacity at all. Adding another 8GB or 16GB of RAM capacity to your system alone can make a difference.
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Option 4: Replacing an Old Rig? Consider a DDR4-Based PC Build
Let’s say you have an even older rig running on, for example, DDR3 memory, and were hoping to upgrade this year, at long last. To figure out if DDR4 memory (as opposed to DDR5) is your best option, consider how you want to use your new system.
If you just want it to juggle several programs at once and keep a lot of tabs open on your web browser, you will benefit the most from a more affordable increase in capacity via DDR4 versus the specific speed gains of the DDR5 standard. With faster RAM, at a given capacity, you may not see any boost in performance in some applications, while other applications show a marked improvement. Games can go either way, depending on the game and your PC platform, but, generally speaking, gaming at high refresh rates tends to benefit from faster RAM. For this reason, if you want to run games at the highest possible refresh rates, try and stick to DDR5 if you can afford it, and avoid mismatched modules if at all possible.
Otherwise, you could build a PC for gaming that uses last generation’s DDR4 memory standard. The cost of DDR4 has also been rising, but it remains considerably less expensive than DDR5. The problem, of course, is that you cannot use DDR4 memory on any AMD AM5 motherboard or with any Intel LGA 1851 “Arrow Lake” Core Ultra board. (You’ll also find some Intel LGA 1700 motherboards running on DDR5; check the specs before buying a board of that socket type.)
(Credit: PCMag/Michael Kan)
This restriction forces you to use an older CPU—the main downside to opting for DDR4. For Intel, things aren’t so bad, as you can find LGA 1700 motherboards that support DDR4 memory and will work perfectly with powerful “Raptor Lake Refresh” processors, like the Intel Core i9-14900K and Core i7-14700K. These processors remain competitive across several areas, such as content creation and 3D asset development, and generally deliver better gaming performance than Intel’s latest “Arrow Lake” chips.
For AMD, the options here are a bit older, but not bad. You’ll have to go with the older AMD AM4 socket if you go with DDR4 memory, but AMD AM4 motherboards with DDR4 RAM slots are more plentiful than LGA 1700 motherboards that support DDR4. Because the processors are older, you generally sacrifice a bit more performance by going this route. But given the age of these chips, you can build a budget system around them for a fair bit less than an entirely new, modern AM5 build that demands pricey DDR5, which makes this option a bit more compelling.
Option 5: Take a Break, and Build a Legacy PC for Fun
Realistically, you should not consider any platforms older than AMD’s AM4 or Intel’s LGA 1700 for a modern PC, particularly not for gaming. All computer hardware has finite usefulness, and the benefits of upgrading only grow over time. You should be upgrading any systems older than these, anyway, especially anything that supports DDR3, which is getting long in the tooth by today’s computing standards.
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These older systems aren’t ideal as everyday computers for a bunch of reasons, but they can still be useful. First: Know you won’t be able to install Windows 11 on older systems. (It requires hardware that most older systems don’t support.) You can also encounter performance and security issues.
One of the best uses for older hardware, however, is for learning how to put together a PC. A lot has changed in the PC-building landscape over the years, but the skills required are transferable, and the fundamentals translate. Building a PC with antiquated hardware can teach you a lot about PC construction and make learning less daunting. Plus, if you break something, the mistake is far less costly than wrecking a Core Ultra 9 chip and an RTX 5080 card.
(Credit: PCMag)
And while these older systems may not be practical, they can be fun–say, for running older games and other software. I have a collection of older PCs and PC components that I use to run retro PC games when time allows. Sometimes, the games work better this way, and some have unique graphics or audio features that don’t work on modern systems. Seeing games running on the PC as they were originally intended is an enjoyable bonus.
It is somewhat viable to use a platform older than AMD’s AM4 or Intel’s LGA1700 so long as it supports Windows 10. Like Windows 11, Windows 10’s hardware requirements limit this hardware selection. Platforms that pre-date AM4 or LGA1700 aren’t ideal for modern games, but they can work fine for games from a few years ago. Likewise, they are perfectly fine for web browsing.
Technically, just for web-browsing purposes, you could even make use of much older systems. I myself have been online with an Intel Core 2 Duo PC running Windows XP, and accessing websites like Wikipedia and downloading software like VLC Media Player works like a charm. But you will encounter more issues when accessing sites with videos and more complex elements. To avoid security risks, I also wouldn’t sign in to any of your online accounts that matter with this particular system, and I would typically keep it disconnected from the internet. Treat going online with a system like this as a curiosity, and nothing more. It should not be your primary internet PC!
Which Option Should I Choose?
The best option for you will largely depend on your goals and budget. If you’re building or buying a new PC, your primary decision now is whether to go with DDR4 or DDR5, given rising costs.
The trade-offs of going with DDR4 over DDR5, aside from forcing you to use some older components, stem from DDR4’s lower memory bandwidth compared with DDR5. In terms of capacity, 32GB of DDR4 is no different from 32GB of DDR5 memory; it’s all about how fast data can travel between your CPU and that RAM. Years of testing have shown that most applications show only modest performance improvements with higher RAM speeds. This is because the performance of most applications is first limited by CPU performance, GPU speed, storage performance, network speed, or the application itself, before memory bandwidth becomes the limiting factor.
You’ll find notable exceptions, such as 7-Zip and WinRAR, which are very memory-hungry and far more sensitive to memory bandwidth. As mentioned earlier, this also applies to gaming at high refresh rates but has less impact at slower refresh rates, such as the industry-standard 60 frames per second.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Reading this, you might want to opt for DDR5 for the best possible gaming performance, but consider the value given today’s pricing. Before prices spiked, I would say DDR5 was almost always the way to go. Looking at Newegg and sticking with two 32GB (2x16GB) memory kits from Corsair for consistency, Corsair’s most affordable DDR4 memory kit was $262.99 at this writing, already high compared with this time last year. That jumps to $439.99 for a similarly capacious DDR5 memory kit.
Either way, the pricing is painful. But consider the advantage of shelling out for the cheaper kit: That $200 you save on memory alone is enough to take you from buying something like an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti to an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which would provide far more performance and would have a larger effect on your gaming experience than the difference in RAM speed.
If you are interested in the best gaming performance and are just looking to build a PC to enjoy gaming for the next several years, this makes going with a DDR4 system, even paired with an older processor, a compelling option if it’ll get you a better graphics card. For now, it may be your only option aside from biting the bullet and buying a more costly DDR5-based system before stocks change over. No one knows for sure how long this memory shortage will last, and evidence suggests that it could be years, so going with a DDR4-based platform could be the best long-term option for thrifty new PC builders in 2026. The alternative: Pay up to play in the DDR5 leagues!
About Our Expert
Michael Justin Allen Sexton
Senior Writer, Hardware
Experience
I have been interested in science and technology for as long as I can remember, spurred on by a fondness for video games. I learned to work in Windows and manipulate files to get buggy games to work, and I learned to build and upgrade PCs for better performance.
In my role at PCMag for the past four years, I’ve deeply enjoyed the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise. Before PCMag, I wrote for Tom’s Hardware for three years, where I covered tech news, deals, and wrote some hands-on reviews. After working as a PCMag contributor for a time reviewing desktops, PC cases, budget processors, and motherboards, I now focus on testing and reviewing processors and graphics cards and sharing my insights on the industry.
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