PCs Now Sold Without RAM to Avoid Memory Price Hikes

Bring-your-own RAM is becoming more common among PC system builders as they look to avoid the constant price tag churn driven by ever-rising memory prices. PCWorld reports that both Maingear and Paradox Customs are now selling RAMless PCs, giving buyers the option of paying less for a system, and perhaps re-using memory they already have.

For DIY and custom PC buyers and builders, the story of 2025 was one of constantly rising memory and storage prices, and 2026 looks set to be much of the same. To get around that, some system builders have opted to sell only specific memory configurations and speeds to cut down on their own stock needs. They're also now offering some systems without any RAM at all.

But while the much lower price tags for gaming or office PCs might seem attractive, there are additional concerns to consider. For starters, unless you already have ...