STUDENTS FACE CRISIS AS LAPTOP PRICES SKYROCKET

August 10, 2026 40 18

James Klusener

@jamesklusener

Something all university students can agree on is the need for a good laptop at a reasonable price. It is an essential tool for any student, and while the North-West University (NWU) does offer spaces dedicated to computer use, life becomes much easier when you have your own laptop. Finding a good laptop at a decent price is challenging, and recently it seems it has gotten worse, and AI is to blame.

As mentioned, one of the main reasons why laptop prices have gone up recently is due to artificial intelligence (AI). AI companies like Anthropic, the makers of Claude, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and Google, known for Gemini, along with other companies, like Nvidia, are all investing in creating huge data centres to meet the demand of AI.

These data centres are controversial for many reasons, but one of the most direct impacts they’ve had on consumers has been their impact on memory, or random access memory (RAM), prices. Data centres are essentially giant warehouses with large racks of computers, and RAM is needed for storing data. This increase in demand for RAM has led to huge shortages for the entire manufacturing industry, like Apple, Samsung, Dell, Asus, and others, due to increased RAM costs.

Dubbed the “Rampocalypse”, there are three big companies involved in producing RAM: Samsung, SK Hynix, and, to a lesser extent, Micron. These companies manufacture and sell the vast majority of the world’s supply of RAM. For example, the RAM in your laptop, iPhone or Android likely comes from Samsung or SK Hynix.

Samsung recently reported that its device division responsible for phones, watches, etc., reported its first-ever loss of over $500,000,000. This is entirely due to the increased cost of RAM, while Samsung’s memory division reported a record revenue of $86,700,000,000, which adds up to an astonishing 56% from the previous earnings. In essence, Samsung is losing money selling phones because RAM has become so expensive, the same RAM it manufactures and is currently selling for record prices.

So how does this affect you? Laptop manufacturers, who already operate on tight margins, are now struggling to absorb the increased component costs this AI boom has brought on. They have now been left with no choice but to increase prices for consumers. Browsing through Amazon or Takealot shows that it is difficult to find a decent laptop for R10,000 or less, because most laptops offered at that price have a lower-use Intel Celeron processor. This should be avoided because it would basically be purchasing e-waste.

There are a few options at R11,000 or less, with Intel Core series or AMD Ryzen processors, which offer good performance, but those options come with only 8GB of RAM. This may not be enough for students who use 30+ tabs at a time. Before the explosion of RAM prices, most Windows laptops at this price had 16GB of RAM, but became less available as prices for RAM increased.

The most disheartening outcome is the MacBook Neo, Apple’s first true budget offering. Launched in March, the Neo initially started at R11,999 for the base model and was frequently on sale for R10,999 on Amazon. It was a great deal for a student, despite offering only 8GB of RAM. Considering the build quality, battery, and Apple’s efficient software, it was a no-brainer for most.

However, that changed when Apple announced that it too could not continue to absorb these increasing component costs. The MacBook Neo, amongst many other Apple products increased in price, with the Neo now starting at R12,999 on Amazon and R13,999 on Takealot, which is a significantly worse deal.

What can students do? Refurbished and second-hand laptops have emerged as the best options for great value at reasonable prices considering the current landscape. iStore pre-owned is a store to keep an eye on, as they occasionally have second-hand MacBook Airs below R12,000. While it isn’t ideal, telecom providers like Vodacom, Telkom or MTN are still good options for laptops on contract, and they often come with portable routers and WiFi plans.

Facebook Marketplace and Bob Shop are also worth looking at. If you are able to steer clear of sketchy users, finding a decent laptop for a good price is definitely possible. Black Friday sales are another excellent option for good deals. Although Revibe may not be the best choice, as many buyers report issues with warranties and service delivery compared to other brands. Ultimately, the best time to buy a laptop, if you’re in need of a new one, is now, as it will likely get worse before it gets better.