MAINGEAR Introduces BYO RAM Builds to Address DDR5 Shortage and Price Hikes

MAINGEAR unveiled a new ordering option that addresses one of the more frustrating realities of the current PC market: unpredictable memory availability and pricing. The company’s new BYO RAM builds let customers order a fully assembled desktop system without the need to buy DDR5 memory from MAINGEAR, allowing them to purchase their own compatible kit.

Buyers can send an existing DDR5 kit to MAINGEAR or purchase one separately from a third-party retailer and ship it in for installation. MAINGEAR provides compatibility guidelines to reduce the risk of mismatches, and the finished system still goes through the company’s standard assembly and system-level validation before it ships.

DDR5 pricing has been volatile for months, driven by strong demand from AI and data-center infrastructure, and tighter allocations from memory manufacturers, resulting in a DDR5 shortage for retailers. For consumers, it means either overpaying for RAM or delaying a complete build until memory availability improves.

MAINGEAR operates as a boutique system integrator, focusing on high-performance gaming desktops, laptops, and workstations built to order rather than mass-produced. Its approach emphasizes clean assembly, thermal tuning, and validation, appealing to users who want powerful, turnkey systems without sacrificing customization.

According to Wallace Santos, CEO, MAINGEAR, the decision to introduce BYO RAM builds was driven by the realization that current memory constraints are not a short-term disruption. What initially appeared to be a temporary supply issue has evolved into what he described as a multi-year problem, fueled by large-scale commitments from data-center and AI players that now dominate memory production capacity.

During our briefing, Santos explained that DDR5 cost increases have been extreme, even by recent PC component standards. Since October, MAINGEAR’s internal costs for common memory configurations have risen sharply, in some cases by several hundred percent, making it increasingly difficult for system builders to absorb pricing changes without passing them on to customers.

Rather than limiting configurations or delaying orders, Santos framed the BYO RAM program as a way to keep systems shipping while preserving the customer experience.

“BYO RAM LETS US KEEP SHIPPING FULLY BUILT, FULLY TESTED SYSTEMS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. – WALLACE SANTOS, CEO, MAINGEAR”

Memory supplied by customers is vetted for compatibility in advance, installed by MAINGEAR technicians, tuned at the BIOS level if needed, and fully validated before shipping. MAINGEAR continues to warranty the complete system, while memory failures are typically handled through the module manufacturer’s lifetime warranty.

Santos also emphasized that the program is expected to remain in place as long as market conditions require it, potentially extending well into 2026. He added that memory shortages are likely to have broader ripple effects across the PC ecosystem, beyond RAM alone.

Besides this new build option, MAINGEAR has also been active on the product side. In recent months, the company launched the Ultima 18, an 18-inch gaming laptop pairing desktop-class CPUs with NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPUs, aimed at users who want extreme performance in a portable form factor. Its MG-1 and TURBO desktops have also been refreshed with improved airflow designs and support for current-generation CPUs and GPUs, while the higher-end RUSH systems continue to focus on custom liquid cooling.