4 laptop features I expect will get worse as big brands contend with rising memory and storage costs — Can you live without them?

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At CES 2026, one thing really stood out: PC hardware is more visually appealing than ever before. Major laptop companies like Lenovo, HP, Dell, and ASUS unveiled some fantastic new devices, but they didn’t really address the increasing costs of memory and storage.

The new generation of hardware expected in 2026 feels out of step with current realities. AI companies have been aggressively buying up all available DRAM and now NAND chips (used for storage) to build their massive data centers, driving up costs. This raises a serious question: how will anyone be able to afford these new devices when the memory and storage alone cost as much as a whole laptop?

Although some of the products planned for 2026 might have slight adjustments to lower costs, the next big update to their hardware could be significantly different.

With the increasing prices of components like RAM and SSDs, here are four laptop features I anticipate will be reduced in quality or removed altogether by major manufacturers.

1) High-resolution, high-quality displays

As an analyst, I can confidently say 2025 was the year OLED technology really took off. I’ve been consistently impressed – once you experience an OLED display, it’s hard to go back! What was particularly exciting was seeing OLED move beyond just high-end laptops; we saw a significant increase in models across a wider range of price points.

The decreasing cost of OLED screens over the last few years, along with advancements like QD-OLED and mini-LED, is the primary reason we’re seeing more of them in laptops. However, OLEDs are still pricier than standard IPS screens, so I expect this trend to slow down as manufacturers look for ways to reduce expenses.

And it’s the same with screen resolution, honestly. The more pixels they pack in, the pricier things get. I saw tons of 2.8K, 3K, and even 4K screens at the show, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing more brands go back to the classic 1920×1200 (FHD+) resolution – it just makes sense from a cost perspective.

2) Powerful discrete graphics cards

Laptop graphics cards have improved dramatically, and it’s still amazing how much processing power can fit into such a small and thin device.

The NVIDIA RTX 5090 Laptop GPU is essentially a renamed desktop RTX 5080, but it’s incredibly powerful. The fact that it can be built into a laptop like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo with its dual screens is really impressive.

Computer hardware is currently experiencing a period of impressive innovation, but Windows, with its heavy focus on artificial intelligence, feels clunky and frustrating.

However, all the work that went into cooling the chip and managing its power, along with the cost of the chip itself, does add up.

Laptops have been increasingly relying on built-in graphics instead of separate, dedicated graphics cards, except for those used for gaming or professional work. As built-in graphics continue to improve, we can expect this trend to continue.

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3) Webcam and speaker quality

Laptop webcams and speakers, particularly in Windows laptops, have gotten surprisingly good. Even less expensive models now offer video and audio quality that used to be reserved for high-end devices. Plus, more and more laptops are including Windows Hello, which lets you log in with facial recognition thanks to built-in infrared sensors.

As major laptop companies try to cut costs on parts like storage and memory, I predict webcams and speakers will be where they make cuts. Many users don’t consider these features essential, particularly those who primarily use their computers for basic tasks like email, spreadsheets, and word processing.

People who often video chat or use their laptops for entertainment will likely notice a difference, as good video and audio quality may become a feature only found in higher-priced laptops.

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4) Plentiful RAM and storage configurations

This one is a no-brainer, but it’s definitely worth including on the list.

I’ve noticed the major computer companies are managing the shortages of memory and storage much better than smaller businesses or individuals. They have long-standing deals with the companies that *make* those parts, which gives them an advantage. However, even with those agreements, they’re still facing some difficulties – it’s not like everything is running smoothly for them, either.

Dell is planning to raise prices on computers for businesses by as much as 30%. This is because of a shortage of RAM, which is something Dell says is beyond their ability to fix.

While 16GB of RAM is now standard in most laptops, I think we’ll start seeing more basic models with 8GB again. Manufacturers will continue to offer laptops with more powerful specs, but those upgrades often come at a higher price.

As I’ve been watching the market, I anticipate a shift in SSD storage in laptops. With storage prices going up, we’re likely to see 1TB SSDs become less common. I wouldn’t be surprised if even high-end laptops start offering 512GB drives again, and I expect most base models to come with 256GB or even less. This might mean relying more on cloud storage, which isn’t ideal, but it seems increasingly probable.

The growing demand for artificial intelligence is causing shortages of RAM (computer memory), and this isn’t just affecting personal computers. Experts predict that data centers will use 70% of the world’s memory by 2026.

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2026-01-22 16:10