Facepalm: It's another day, another reminder why so many people hate AI. Thanks to hyperscalers' insatiable demand for memory pushing up prices, Framework has nearly doubled the cost of the 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 options for its upcoming Laptop 13 Pro overnight. The decision was made after it received a supplier quote that was more than twice the price of its previous shipment.
Framework's 32GB module has jumped from $439 to $800, an increase of 82%, while the 64GB option has risen from $849 to a brutal $1,600, up 88%. Linus Sebastian's favorite laptop company is keeping the 16GB module at $239 for now, but warns that price will also increase once its remaining lower-cost stock runs out.
CEO Nirav Patel said the firm had expected a low-to-mid double-digit percentage increase between the second and third quarters. The actual quote went "far beyond anything we had predicted," and absorbing it would place Framework's ability to operate at real financial risk.
The situation is especially problematic for customers with existing preorders. Framework says it has enough LPCAMM2 modules to fulfill all outstanding orders, just not the right mix of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities. Laptop preorders through Batch 4 and mainboard orders through Batch 7 should receive their selected 64GB configurations.
Later 64GB orders are being changed to 32GB at the original 32GB price. Some 32GB DIY Edition and mainboard orders beyond those batches are similarly being downgraded to 16GB at the original 16GB price.
Framework hasn't changed affected 32GB prebuilt orders because it does not yet offer a Core Ultra X7 prebuilt configuration with 16GB. Customers unhappy with the changes can cancel for a full deposit refund.
New orders have also become more expensive. The prebuilt Laptop 13 Pro now starts at $1,599 with a Core Ultra 5 325, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD, $100 above the launch price. Framework says increases in Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, Windows licenses, storage, and other silicon have also contributed. The LPCAMM2 changes only affect the Intel version; Ryzen AI 300 models use conventional SO-DIMMs.
The Laptop 13 Pro was unveiled in April, when the modular notebook started at $1,199 for the DIY Edition. Its LPCAMM2 support was one of the major upgrades, providing replaceable LPDDR5X memory with improved bandwidth and efficiency.
Recent forecasts suggest memory prices could rise another 40% to 50% this quarter, while Adata's chairman has warned that the DRAM shortage may last another decade.