Buying a Computer in Autumn 2026: Laptops, Gaming PCs and Monitors at a Glance
Image: Shixart1985 / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
In short: If you want to buy a computer in autumn 2026, expect the memory crisis to affect prices. According to PC Games Hardware, DDR5 memory costs about five and a half times its July 2025 price, and SSDs and graphics cards are much more expensive too. Still, there are strong new devices: the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max, fast Windows laptops with Snapdragon X2 and brighter OLED monitors. A gaming PC for around 1,000 euros is still possible, with compromises.
At a glance
| Topic | Status October 2026 |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro M5 | From 1,899 euros, M5 Pro from 2,499 euros |
| Snapdragon X2 laptops | From about 810 euros (X2 Plus), X2 Elite from about 1,600 euros |
| DIY gaming PC | About 1,090 euros with Arc B580 and Ryzen 7 5700X |
| DDR5 price index | 559 percent of the July 2025 level |
| 32-inch 4K OLED monitors | About 640 to 730 euros |
Data from Apple, ComputerBase and PC Games Hardware, as cited in our individual articles.
The details
A 2 × 16 GB DDR5-6000 kit now costs at least 447 euros; read our memory prices report. The MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max has an 18-core CPU and three Thunderbolt 5 ports. In ComputerBase's test, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is the fastest Windows laptop so far; see our Windows laptops guide. PCGH's 1,000-euro gaming PC uses an Intel Arc B580, a Ryzen 7 5700X and 32 GB of DDR4. New Penta Tandem QD-OLED panels make OLED monitors brighter and sharper.
Laptop or desktop?
A laptop is portable and needs no extra screen, and models with Apple chips or Snapdragon X2 are quiet and efficient. However, memory and storage are often soldered, so buy enough from the start. A desktop PC offers more performance for the money, especially for gaming, and lets you upgrade parts such as the graphics card or memory later, which is useful while prices are high.
Who should buy what
Students and office users get long battery life from a Snapdragon X2 Plus laptop starting at about 810 euros. Creatives benefit from the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro. Budget gamers can follow the PCGH build list, and demanding players should consider a 240 Hz OLED monitor. If your current computer still works well, keep using it instead of upgrading at crisis prices. Plan for at least 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. More in our computer category.
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