Why my Raspberry Pi boards suddenly cost as much as a laptop now - and I'm not surprised

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

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RAM prices are soaring due to AI demand, driving up Pi costs.

Two Raspberry Pi boards can now cost as much as a laptop.

AI data centers are fuelling RAM shortages, impacting consumers.

It's no exaggeration to say that RAM prices are skyrocketing, driving up the cost of products that rely heavily on memory. One product category that's been hit particularly hard is the Raspberry Pi single-board computer.

Once celebrated as a low-cost solution for hobbyists, the price of Raspberry Pi boards has now soared to the point where two 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 boards will cost you as much as a new MacBook Neo.

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So, what's going on with RAM prices?

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