CES was awash with the latest and greatest announcements this year, including sneak peaks at what could be some of the best gaming laptops of 2026. We weren't, however, treated to a glimpse at those final prices and if RAM shortages continue it looks like that might have been a mercy.
We're not exactly starting off from the best foundation either. The RTX 40-Series was more expensive than the generation before it, but I was regularly finding discounts on RTX 4080 machines for less than $2,000 and RTX 4060s were often in three-figures. You'd be lucky to find an RTX 5060 at the $1,000 mark in 2026, and high-end GPUs are far more stubborn this time around. What we certainly don't need is a global component shortage.
Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 10 | $1,499 at Best Buy
MSI Katana | $1,199.99 at Newegg
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI | $1,249.99 at Best Buy
Why is the RAM-pocalypse upon us? Because manufacturers are a little tied up elsewhere right now. Essentially (but you can read far more in Duncan's guide to the current RAM shortages), AI data centers are getting their orders in and they've got a massive appetite. To keep iterating on their AI power, brands like Nvidia, AMD, and Google are looking to dial in to HBM4, a non-consumer memory standard due to arrive this year.
The problem is manufacturers only have enough factory space. They're dropping their consumer DRAM divisions in order to hit these more lucrative orders, making your Grandma's DDR5 stick harder to get and therefore far more expensive.
Here's the bottom line. Back in January, TrendForce forecasted a 70% uptick in DRAM prices over the course of 2026, which will ultimately impact the prices of everything from SSDs to graphics cards. These increases will directly impact end-user pricing, particularly at the entry-level.
Here's what you need to know if you're upgrading this year.
The mid-range is going to be more important than ever
Your middle-of-the-pack RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 systems? They're going to be more important than ever in 2026.
These are the kinds of gaming laptops that usually sit in the 'best value' category in my recommendation roster, machines that prioritize component value over fancy extras like OLED displays, slimline chassis', and high-end keyboards. They also tend to stick to 16GB sticks of RAM, looking to support slightly weaker internals with additional chassis space and better cooling to really squeeze as much as they can out of the guts they've got.
This is likely where the best value will remain when new gaming laptops launch over the next few months. Rigs like the Lenovo Legion 5, MSI Katana, and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are going to go straight under the microscope, especially with entry-level system prices rising up to meet them.
Crucially, these are the rigs and configurations that usually stick to 16GB sticks. Moving further up the GPU scale, the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 need 32GB RAM to be worthwhile, and that's going to hit your wallet even more than usual.
You'll need to upgrade for the right reasons
That means it might not be the best time to upgrade based on display quality, battery life, or portability. If you need more power to run the latest games you're going into battle in 2026, but if you've got enough juice to see you through the current generation I'd stick with it for now.
As those component prices rise, gaming laptops with high-end displays and other fancy features are going to need to add even more onto your final bill. If you've already got a suite of working internals, now's not the time for luxury quality-of-life upgrades.
Prices are going to be determined by supply chain strength more than ever
Some gaming laptop brands have better supply chain rates than others, which is why you'll find the exact same components in wildly different price tags between brands. That's not necessarily going to change too much in 2026 (everyone's paying more, after all), but some brands are going to be able to deal with it better than others.
Without a roster of 2026 gaming laptop prices available, it's impossible to say who's leading at the moment. Brands may, however, be shifting suppliers more often, opting for lower-capacity components, and experience more stock fluctuations. Grabbing a good price when it's available might be more crucial in 2026.
We won't see all the effects quite yet
There's some good news for prospective gaming laptop hunters, though. We won't see the full force of these RAM shortages for a few more months. Last year's roster is still alive and well on the shelves, having already been manufactured when prices were down they're not expected to see the same kinds of upticks.
With no new GPUs on the cards for 2026, and only a few iterative CPU upgrades, it doesn't look like there's going to be too much separating these generations out - at least from where we're standing today. So here's my biggest piece of advice:
If you see a 2025 release that ticks all the right boxes at a price you can afford, don't be afraid to dive in. New releases can dazzle with their shiny materials, boosted displays, and slight processing boosts, but the luxury of having a brand new device is going to cost you a hell of a lot more than it might be worth in 2026.
- See all gaming laptop deals at Best Buy
I'm also hunting down all the best Asus gaming laptops and the best Alienware laptops on the market. For something a little more slimline, check out the best Razer laptops available.
