1. DDR5 memory prices have remained stable, but SSD prices, especially for newer inventory, have surged significantly.
2. Framework is experiencing higher costs for SSDs due to depleted inventory and increased vendor prices, leading to potential price increases for consumers.
3. The company is primarily affected by volatile component costs in the tech industry, impacting pricing and product affordability.
Component Costs Shakeup in the Tech World
Framework, a well known name in the tech community, recently update about the costs of their components amid unstable market conditions. What they shared was mixed news; the DDR5 memory prices seems to be holding steady, which is good. Yet, the SSDs, especially the cheaper ones from 2025, has gone missing and the new ones coming in are muchc more expensive. This is bad news for folks planning to upgrade or purchase new products like the Framework Laptop 12, 13 Pro, or 16.
Stable Memory Prices but Rising Storage Costs
On May 12, the company explained, “We’ve seen memory costs from DDR5 suppliers remain fairly stable over the last few months,” this was part of their regular blog update. They clarified that they had already bought a stock of 8GB memory modules earlier at lower prices and now have to increase prices a little to cover new costs. The good part is that, aside from that capacity, prices of other memory sizes stayed the same as last month. It’s like they’re trying to balance things out without passing too much burden to customers.
SSD Prices Are Going Through The Roof
Things aren’t so rosy for SSDs, especially for the fast NVMe drives. According to Framework’s info, prices for these drives, especially those rated at PCIe Gen 4 and Gen 5, has skyrocketed to 3 or even 4 times higher than before. They used to keep those prices below market rates by using old inventory from 2025, but unfortunately, such stocks are now running out. The company explains that they are now sourcing new inventory at prices far higher than before, and this means higher costs for the customers.”
Pricing Adjustments and Market Volatility
Framework admits that their pricing reflects both old and new components, but soon they will only have newer, more expensive inventory to sell. The blog states, “by next month, we will have depleted the older inventory for most capacities and will need to reprice fully to reflect the new costs.” This fluctuation is no surprise, especially with the unstable shifts common in the PC hardware industry. Their spokesperson, Nirav Patel, stated plainly, “The price is what it is, unfortunately,” acknowledging that smaller firms have limited options but to pass increased costs down to customers.
How Storage Prices Have Changed Over Time
Historically, Framework relied on Western Digital (now SanDisk) SSDs like the WD Black SN770 and SN850X for their laptops and prebuilt units. For example, a 1 TB SN770 NVMe drive used to retail for about $100–$129 two years ago, and the higher-end SN850X without heatsink was around $160. But now, by 2026, the same 1 TB SN770 is costing around $200, while the SN850X is roughly $250 on major retail sites. This shows clear inflation and market shifts affecting even high-performance storage options.
