Multiple popular PC categories have seen price rises. Gaming laptops and several
high-performance thin-and-light and creator models have increased, with some
models more than 20% higher versus the start of the year despite June brand
promotions. Dealers report retail increases of several hundred to several
thousand yuan; brands are shifting focus from chasing volume to protecting
margins. Manufacturers say core-component cost inflation is driving the moves
and that further price increases remain possible. A PC company executive said
the main cause is a sharp rise in storage-chip prices as AI development is
consuming large amounts of storage capacity, tightening supply of memory and
SSDs and pushing costs up; broader electronic-component price increases add
extra cost, leaving firms unable to fully absorb the rise and modest forcing
product price adjustments.
