As part of the ongoing story, a lot can change in a year—and PC building sure took unexpected directions since I launched this newsletter in May 2025.
Industry observers note that they spread uncertainty throughout the PC industry, with no one knowing how they would shake out. (Much less if they would be ruled as legal.) For us enthusiasts, we wondered if their implementation would kill off parts of the PC industry. Looking back, that unease almost feels idyllic. Back then, tariffs were the big crisis.
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According to the latest update, the AI boom steamrolled right over consumer PCs—data center hunger for memory and storage made once-easy upgrades into astronomically priced luxuries. In May 2025, you could get 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM for $80 on sale (and yes, two DIMMs). Now, a year later, the best deals you can find require buying a bundle (like this $500 X870 mobo + 32GB DDR5-6000 combo). Paying for just the RAM alone will already set you back between $400 to $450. The actual disaster came from somewhere else all together.
Industry observers note that it casts the widest pall over PC building, but the seemingly impossible has happened multiple times over the past 12 months. I mean, no one really envisioned:. But this RAM-apocalypse isn’t the craziest thing to have happened.
As part of the ongoing story, i poked at ATX’s longevity, wondered when PC case design would actually evolve, and suggested benchmarking was due for a revolution. So what comes next? Honestly, I’m almost afraid to ask. (I’m hesitant to tempt fate further.) But if I had to take a stab at it—the clues live in current news. Looking at my initial thoughts on PC building in 2025, they seem downright unimaginative.
Industry observers note that these days, pondering case design feels like an extreme luxury.
In a fresh development, applications obviously has become more important in determining the useful lifespan of devices, as Nvidia’s signaled with its push into AI-driven enhancements. But devices hasn’t stopped yet, just slowed. In addition to Intel’s Nova Lake CPUs, we may be able to expect another AMD Radeon 9000 graphics card for desktop later in 2026. And rumors swirl around an Nvidia CPU arrival for laptops, plus a possible, pre-emptive counterpunch from AMD. Innovation is still happening in PCs.
In a fresh development, in fact, displays feel hot, in a vein similar to CPU and GPU debuts of recent yesteryear. Nobody asked for a bonkers 1,000Hz monitor, but LG’s shipping one later this year. Alienware just upped and dropped a 1440p 27-inch OLED monitor for $350. And you can still find great deals on monitors at least once or twice a week. (Like this 39-inch LG OLED ultrawide, which hit a sales price of $770 just earlier this month.). You can also expect more from the stuff we plug our computers into—mice, keyboards, monitors—likely far more thrills than computer components.
In a fresh development, windows 11 has notoriously taken a nose-dive in quality in the past year or two, and combined with the final swan song for Windows 10, Linux has suddenly started shining like a beacon on a hill. Can we attribute Microsoft’s pledge to clean up Windows 11’s act to the interest in a free, open-source alternative? Maybe not directly, but if programs firms end up taking cues from the open-source user base, the effort to examine problems in public (rather than keeping them private) might be the winning formula to improve our daily quality of life with tech. Change is also brewing in the broader ecosystem around PCs.
According to the latest update, and if nothing comes to pass—if everything as we know it burns to the ground—I think the kids will make sure we come out all right.
The report highlights that i’m grateful to have had you alongside me while I chronicled it from my perspective. Here’s to the next year of watching where PC building goes next. It likely won’t look the same as before—but such is the nature of chasing the wind. It’s been a wild, chaotic year.
Industry observers note that i’m in agreement with Will—I hope we get to keep cross-play and cross-ecosystem saves even in a once-again fractured tech industry global stage. In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee, Will Smith, and Ben Patterson talk about good uses of AI for nerds (no really), FSR 4.1 support for RDNA 3 and RDNA 2 Radeon graphics cards, and Sony slamming the door in PC gamers’ faces once more.
In a fresh development, (We’re busy cooking up plans for this double-milestone showcase, don’t you worry.). Also, get hyped—Episode 400 is just around the corner!
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In a fresh development, and if you need more devices talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord user base—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.
In a fresh development, well. Maybe more like a snort-laugh here and there, particularly at the idea of spending as much on RAM as a flagship mobile phone. And the human ability to turn normally nasty behavior into a quirky, off-beat response to annoying bots. Infrastructure news is slim right now, but I still found myself smiling here and there.
As part of the ongoing story, since he doesn’t yet have a membership, he asked me to get some Costco hot dogs for Episode 400’s celebrations. Adam recently discovered the wonders of Costco—and let me tell you, he already has the hang of shopping there.
In a fresh development, i’ll probably still have my party hat on. : ). Catch you all next week!
As part of the ongoing story, this newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of devices at PCWorld.
According to the latest update, since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. A 15-year veteran of technology and video platform releases journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld.