Is AI killing laptop upgradeability?

By now, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about AI, specifically how AI data centers are hoarding massive amounts of RAM and taking it away from consumers. That surge in demand has rippled outward, affecting everything from environmental impact to rising RAM prices, and it’s a real bummer if you’re in the market for a laptop in 2026.

We’re seeing this play out in real time, too. Framework—a laptop company known for its upgradeable, modular designs—has raised the price of RAM on its website not once, but twice now.