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MSI to Raise 2026 Gaming Hardware Prices 15–30% Citing DRAM and GPU Shortages

MSI cites surging component costs, prompting a pivot to DDR4 boards, multi‑year supply deals, fewer budget models, plus expanded AI‑server capex.

Overview

  • The company links the increases to tight DRAM supply and constrained Nvidia GPU availability as AI data centers absorb a larger share of components.
  • MSI reports a 16GB DDR5 module has jumped from roughly $40 last year to about $170–$180 today, with some spot sales near $200.
  • MSI is trimming low‑end gaming SKUs to focus on mid‑ and high‑tier products, and it is redesigning its motherboard lineup toward DDR4 with a planned 2:8 DDR5‑to‑DDR4 mix.
  • The firm has secured one to two months of memory inventory and is pursuing three‑ to five‑year contracts to reduce exposure to volatile spot pricing.
  • MSI targets 50–100% annual growth in its AI server business over the next three to five years and is lifting 2026 capex to NT$50 billion for a new Taoyuan facility, as analysts warn PC prices industry‑wide could rise around 20–40%.