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Laptop prices rise when the parts and production inputs in a machine become more expensive, scarcer or more complex to build. Current industry analyses identify the processor (CPU), DRAM memory and SSD storage as the largest combined cost drivers. In one TrendForce reference model, those three parts grew from about 45% of bill-of-materials (BOM) cost in the first quarter of 2025 to about 68% in the third quarter of 2026. That example does not describe every laptop: configuration, supply contracts, inventory, margins and specification changes determine how much of any component increase reaches the shelf price.
How a component cost becomes a laptop price
A laptop’s bill of materials is the cost of the physical parts used to build it. It includes items such as the CPU, memory chips, SSD, motherboard, display, battery, keyboard, chassis, cooling hardware, wireless modules and power circuitry. BOM is not the same as the retail price. A finished laptop also carries assembly, software, logistics, warranty, marketing, retailer and distributor costs, plus the manufacturer’s margin.
The usual chain is straightforward:
- Chip and component suppliers quote contract or spot prices.
- Manufacturers incorporate those prices into a product’s BOM and forecast.
- The brand decides whether to raise the laptop’s price, accept a lower margin, reduce a specification or redesign the product.
- Distributors and retailers apply their own costs and margins before the customer sees a shelf or online price.
Consequently, a 10% increase in one chip does not automatically produce a 10% increase in the laptop. The pass-through depends on that part’s share of BOM, the size and timing of the increase, existing inventory, supply agreements, channel margins and the product’s competitive position.
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The three components with the greatest combined influence
| Component or group | Reported cost share or movement | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | About 15–30% of notebook BOM | TrendForce’s range varies with system configuration; it is not a universal percentage for every model. TrendForce, January 2026 |
| DRAM and SSD together | About 15% of BOM under normal conditions; projected to exceed 30% in 1Q26 | The projection followed several quarters of memory-price increases and refers to notebook BOM, not the retail price. TrendForce, March 2026 |
| CPU, DRAM and SSD together | About 45% of BOM in 1Q25, rising to about 68% in 3Q26 | A calculation for a $900 mainstream reference notebook, not a standard share across brands and classes. TrendForce, September 2026 |
CPU: a large single line item
The processor can account for roughly 15% to 30% of a notebook’s BOM, according to TrendForce. The range is wide because an entry-level two-in-one, a mainstream office notebook and a high-performance mobile workstation use very different processors, power limits and supporting boards. A premium CPU can also require stronger cooling, a more capable voltage-regulation design and faster memory, so its economic effect is not limited to the processor package itself.
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CPU availability matters as much as its list price. TrendForce described CPU supply as volatile in its January 2026 notebook outlook. If a manufacturer cannot obtain the intended processor in volume, it may pay more for an alternative, delay a model, ship fewer units or substitute a lower-tier chip. Those choices can change both the cost and the performance specification.
DRAM: capacity, generation and market price
DRAM is the laptop’s working memory. Its cost is influenced by memory generation, speed, capacity and whether modules are soldered or socketed. A machine with 32 GB generally contains more memory silicon than one with 8 GB, while newer generations can carry a different price structure from older stock.
TrendForce reported that DRAM and SSD represented roughly 15% of notebook BOM in normal conditions, then projected their combined share to exceed 30% in the first quarter of 2026 after multiple quarters of price increases. It also forecast more than an 80% quarter-over-quarter increase in notebook DRAM contract prices for 1Q26. Contract pricing is what suppliers and manufacturers negotiate; it is not a direct forecast that retail laptop prices will rise by 80%.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Memory costs can alter a product without a visible price increase. A brand may keep the advertised price but ship 8 GB instead of 16 GB, use slower memory or limit upgradeability. The laptop then preserves the manufacturer’s target margin while delivering less memory value to the buyer.
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SSD: storage capacity and NAND supply
SSDs use NAND flash, whose price moves through supply and demand cycles. Capacity is the obvious driver: a 1 TB drive requires more flash than a 256 GB drive. Controller choice, performance tier, endurance and whether the laptop uses a removable M.2 drive or soldered storage also affect the BOM.
TrendForce forecast more than a 70% quarter-over-quarter increase in notebook SSD contract prices in 1Q26. It separately described tightening NAND supply. Those are component-market forecasts, not observations that every laptop’s retail price changed by the same percentage. A manufacturer may carry lower-cost SSD inventory, renegotiate a supply contract or reduce capacity instead of passing the full increase to customers.
What the reference-model figures really show
TrendForce used a $900 mainstream notebook to illustrate how quickly a configuration’s cost structure can change. In its comparison, CPU, DRAM and SSD accounted for about 45% of BOM in 1Q25 and about 68% in 3Q26. The increase means those three inputs consumed a much larger share of the model’s parts budget; it does not mean 68% of every laptop’s retail price consists of those components.
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Other parts that push costs upward
Motherboard and PCB complexity
TrendForce also identified printed circuit boards (PCBs) as a source of pressure. Higher copper prices raise material costs, while more complex designs require additional board layers and denser routing. A board built for a high-power CPU, fast memory, multiple displays, high-speed storage and numerous ports can cost more than a simpler board even before chips are installed.
Layer count is a structural cost: it cannot usually be removed through a small purchasing adjustment without redesigning and validating the product. That is why board complexity can continue to affect a model after a temporary memory or processor spike has eased.
Battery and power-management components
Batteries contribute through cell capacity, chemistry, packaging, safety electronics and certification. A larger-capacity battery adds material and shipping weight; a thin chassis may require a custom-shaped pack that costs more than a standard cell arrangement.
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Display, chassis and configuration choices
The available analyses do not publish a universal dollar ranking for every laptop component. Nevertheless, configuration still determines the BOM: a high-resolution or high-refresh display, a larger panel, a metal chassis, a discrete graphics processor, a stronger cooling system and additional wireless or connectivity hardware all distinguish one model from another. Treat these as model-specific cost factors rather than fixed percentages that apply to the whole market.
Why supply conditions matter as much as the part itself
A component with a modest normal share can become a major price driver when its market price rises sharply. Conversely, a large component share may have little immediate effect if the manufacturer bought inventory at an earlier price or has a long-term contract.
TrendForce’s January 2026 outlook combined CPU and memory pressure and forecast a 14.8% quarter-over-quarter decline in global notebook shipments for 1Q26. Its March analysis focused on the possibility that memory and CPU increases could push mainstream notebook prices up by nearly 40% under margin-preservation assumptions. These reports describe market scenarios and forecasts, not a universal outcome for every region or model.
Gartner’s February 26, 2026 forecast estimated a 130% rise in combined DRAM and SSD prices by the end of 2026 compared with 2025, alongside a forecast 17% rise in PC prices over the same comparison. Gartner also projected that memory would reach 23% of PC BOM, up from 16% in 2025. Those figures are forecasts published in February 2026, not settled results; they should not be read as a guaranteed price increase for a particular laptop. Gartner’s release also characterized the shipment outlook as the steepest contraction in device shipments in over a decade.
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How manufacturers can respond without simply raising the price
- Pass through the cost: Raise the wholesale or retail price while attempting to preserve the existing margin. This protects profitability but can reduce demand or make the model less competitive.
- Absorb the increase: Keep the advertised price and accept a lower margin. This may be temporary if the company expects component prices to fall, but it leaves less room for warranty, marketing and channel costs.
- Change the specification: Reduce memory or storage capacity, select a different CPU, simplify the board or use a different display. The price can remain stable, but performance, upgradeability or user value changes.
- Rebalance the product range: Keep a flagship configuration while introducing a lower-cost variant, or shift production toward models that use parts with better availability.
TrendForce explicitly described price increases, lower margins and specification reductions as competing responses. A laptop that appears unchanged from one generation to the next may therefore contain a quieter cost adjustment, such as less memory or storage, rather than a higher sticker price. TrendForce’s October 2026 analysis discusses the risk that rising costs could weaken notebook demand and contribute to shipment declines or price increases.
A practical way to judge whether a price rise is justified
- Identify the exact configuration. Record the CPU model, RAM capacity and type, SSD capacity, display specification, graphics processor and battery size. Comparing two laptops by family name alone can hide large BOM differences.
- Separate parts from the finished price. Remember that BOM excludes assembly, logistics, software, warranty, distribution and retail margins. A component percentage cannot be applied directly to the laptop’s advertised price.
- Check whether the claim is a forecast or an observed price. Contract-price projections, such as the 1Q26 DRAM and SSD estimates, describe supplier negotiations rather than a guaranteed change at checkout.
- Look for a specification change. If the price is stable during a component shortage, compare memory and storage capacities, processor tier, display refresh rate and ports with the previous model.
- Account for timing and inventory. A retailer may still be selling units built with cheaper parts while a newly manufactured batch reflects higher costs. Prices can therefore diverge between old and refreshed models.
- Compare like with like. Use the same region, taxes, warranty term and configuration. Currency movements and local distribution costs can overwhelm a small change in the underlying BOM.
What cannot be inferred from public component percentages
Public industry reports generally provide ranges, shares and market forecasts rather than the exact dollar cost of every part in every brand and model. The 15–30% CPU range depends on configuration, and the 45% and 68% combined figures apply specifically to TrendForce’s $900 reference notebook and its stated quarters. They should not be used to calculate the manufacturing cost of an unrelated gaming laptop, Chromebook or premium ultralight.
Nor can a component forecast determine a final price by itself. The result depends on a manufacturer’s purchasing contracts, inventory, exchange rates, factory utilization, channel agreements, competitive strategy and willingness to trade margin for market share. The most defensible conclusion is comparative: CPU, DRAM and SSD are currently the most influential combined inputs in the cited analyses, while PCB complexity, batteries and PMICs add secondary pressure that varies by design.
Bottom line
Laptop prices rise mainly when high-share components become more expensive or scarce. The CPU can represent about 15–30% of notebook BOM, and DRAM plus SSD can move from a roughly 15% combined share in normal conditions to more than 30% in TrendForce’s 1Q26 projection. In its $900 reference model, CPU, DRAM and SSD together rose from about 45% of BOM in 1Q25 to about 68% in 3Q26. Those numbers explain why memory and processor shocks attract so much attention, but they are not universal retail formulas. To understand any specific price change, compare the exact configuration, verify whether the component figure is a forecast, and check whether the manufacturer changed the specification or absorbed part of the increase.
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