Let’s not beat around the bush: the current RAM crisis sucks. It’s made upgrading your PC (or buying a new computer or laptop) incredibly expensive: upping your RAM once was one of the most affordable ways to boost your PC’s performance. That’s no longer the case, and the global memory shortage has also increased the prices of other components that rely on the tech, especially SSD storage and graphics cards.
That doesn’t mean it’s now impossible for anyone with less money than a billionaire to upgrade their PCs, however, but it does mean looking at improving other parts of your PC setup instead.
By focusing on peripherals and accessories that haven’t been impacted by the memory shortage, you can get noticeable improvements to your PC experience without breaking the bank — especially as there are some pretty great Memorial Day deals to be had. It also never hurts to upgrade some of the more neglected parts of your PC setup while you wait for memory prices to drop.
Buying a new monitor, for example, could give you the kind of visual boost that you might have only expected from getting a new GPU.
Investing in new computer speakers can make gaming and watching media on your PC much more immersive and enjoyable, and adding a Wi-Fi 7 adaptor or Wi-Fi extender can also bring huge benefits. Finally, getting a new mouse or keyboard, arguably the two peripherals you interact with most in your day-to-day life, can also transform your experience when using your PC. Below, you’ll find my recommendations, all of which have had price cuts ahead of Memorial Day.
