Framework nearly doubles Laptop 13 Pro RAM prices overnight as CEO warns supplier costs put company at “financial risk”

Keeping pace with the ongoing memory crisis, Framework has decided to nearly double the price of its 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 memory module configurations for its Laptop 13 Pro almost overnight. 32GB modules will now cost $800, while 64GB modules have been bumped up to $1,600.

This price hike was announced just before the first units were set to ship. Framework’s Nirav Patel states that the price increase is due to an overnight cost update from its LPCAMM2 RAM supplier, whose pricing even shocked the company and forced Framework to rework its new orders and a chunk of its in-queue pre-orders. Nirav Patel stated in Framework’s blog post:

“We’ve recently received a cost update from our LPCAMM2 supplier that goes far beyond anything we had predicted and anything we’re able to absorb without putting our ability to operate at a financial risk. Rather than the low-to-mid double-digit percentage increase we had forecast from Q2 to Q3 on LPCAMM2 costs, we’ve received prices that are more than double that of the prior inventory we had brought in.”

Nirav Patel is worried that Framework is now facing real financial risk. Previously, he stated that the broader memory crunch is practically squeezing Framework, saying, “The price is what it is, unfortunately.”

Due to Framework’s limited hands-on supply of 64GB LPCAMM2 RAM modules, the company is triaging on a batch-by-batch basis. Patel stated:

“After evaluating a number of possible paths forward, we’re proceeding on the one that we believe minimizes the impact of this challenge. We have enough 64GB modules in inventory to cover pre-order batches through Batch 4 of laptops and Batch 7 of Mainboards. For orders beyond that configured with 64GB, we’ve updated that order configuration to use a 32GB module at the original 32GB price.”

Patel continued:

“After that, we allocated the remaining 32GB modules to DIY Edition Mainboard pre-orders configured with 32GB through Batch 4 of laptops and Batch 7 of Mainboards. For DIY Edition and Mainboard orders beyond that configured with 32GB, we’ve updated that order configuration to use a 16GB module at the original 16GB price. Note that because we don’t currently have a Core X7 Ultra pre-built configuration with 16GB of memory, we have not adjusted pre-built orders that originally contained 32GB. That is a configuration we plan to introduce later.”

Moving forward, Framework will continue to sell 16GB modules at $239 until the current inventory runs out. At a later stage, 16GB LPCAMM2 prices will be raised. Effective immediately, pricing for the 32GB LPCAMM2 module has increased from $439 to $800, and the 64GB module has surged from $849 to an astronomical $1,600.

Not just a RAM equation to solve for Framework

However, the price updates aren’t limited to memory, as Framework is also increasing the prices of its X7 and X9 systems and Mainboards due to rising chip and Windows licensing costs, as well as the premium memory and storage on the Ryzen AI 300 configurations.

However, not everything is getting a price bump, as Framework says it has found lower prices on 48GB DDR5 modules and a few SSDs, such as the SN850X 8TB and SN7100 1TB. However, the strange part is that the SN850X 1TB and SN7100 4TB drives will receive a price bump.

Despite this, Patel says that unfulfilled pre-orders with lower-priced components will have their prices dropped. For pre-orders with configurations whose component prices have increased, the company will still charge the customer the amount they paid when they pre-ordered the system. 

The Laptop 13 Pro has yet to ship to customers, as Framework says its new laptop is still on track for a late July release, which means the company has just one week left to finalize the numbers before laptops start going out the door. With the Laptop 13 Pro shaping up to be an impressive upgrade in both internals and utility, its sticker price might be a sticky topic for most consumers looking to score a laptop at a time when an AI-induced squeeze on both RAM and SSD is pricing out customers, even as Framework is working hard to generate savings where possible.