For anyone with imminent plans to build your first PC or upgrade your existing setup, you should definitely consider doing it now, or at least in the next few months – and not just because of the epic holiday deals.
There is concern in the heads of me and other concerned Redditors that President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial tariff promises will be implemented after the start of his second term in 2025.
Presidential candidates’ campaign promises certainly don’t always stick once they take office, so there is a possibility that no additional tariffs will be imposed on goods from other countries. However, given Trump’s track record with tariffs imposed since his first term, PC component prices on everything else are a solid possibility. best graphics card till Best DDR5 RAM There may be a rapid increase soon.
What are Trump’s proposed tariffs?
one in fox news interview In February, Trump was asked about previous statements about imposing a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, and he responded: “No, I would say it’s probably going to be higher than that.” Similar statements were made throughout the campaign, further supporting the idea of 60% or more tariffs on goods imported from China.
Then, a campaign rally in August“We’re going to impose 10 to 20 percent tariffs on foreign countries that have been harassing us for years,” Trump said. A blanket tariff of 10% or 20% on goods imported from all countries is not necessary and is likely to raise consumer prices – according to several economic experts and non-partisan tax foundation – But it’s the higher potential tariffs on Chinese goods that’s really worrisome for PC-building enthusiasts.
How potential tariffs could affect PC component prices
According to a study published by Consumer Technology Association (CTA), high-performance GPUs may see the fastest price increase among PC components. The $900 high-end GPU in the mentioned example is potentially rising to a new price of $1,300 – an increase of almost 40%.
While GPUs will take the biggest hit on your wallet after the tariffs, prices for other PC components are also expected to rise as the United States imports Very Computer parts from countries in Southeast Asia like Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and of course China.
newegg business writes, “Off-the-shelf components like DRAM and SSDs use domestically produced NAND wafers. Other component parts—circuit boards, controllers, and assemblies—are imported from around the world, primarily China. According to the site, “It is almost impossible to make a PC sourced exclusively from North America.”
Unfortunately, this means that the prices of your PC components will increase. Although there have been some statements about consumers not paying more for goods, and that countries that have tariffs imposed will be the ones paying, this is not true – at least, according to CTA’s Vice President of International Trade Ed. Not according to Brazitva. ,
in an interview with Tom’s HardwareBrzezita said: “Tariffs are regressive taxes that Americans pay. They are not paid by any foreign government. Those are taxes that importers in the United States pay and foreign governments and foreign countries that don’t pay those tariffs. He pointed out that nearly 100% of the cost of previous tariffs on some Chinese imports imposed by both the Trump and Biden administrations was passed on to consumers.
Prices of gaming laptops, peripherals and consoles are also expected to increase
I bet most of the people building PCs are also avid gamers, and unfortunately, the gaming industry is expected to suffer a lot if tariffs are imposed.
According to the CTA study mentioned earlier, the average retail cost of computer accessories could increase by 10.9%, an increase of approximately $25. I’m assuming ‘computer accessories’ includes most peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, microphones, etc.
Monitors are listed as a separate category by the CTA. The study shows that monitors could increase by 31.2% with an average retail cost increase of $109. This potential price increase is the last push for me to finally make my two monitors attractive. OLED Model.
The CTA says the price of a typical laptop could increase by 46%, adding an average of $357 to the retail cost. With gaming laptops equipped with different GPUs, I think we will see an even greater increase in the price of gaming laptops.
Ultimately, video game console prices could increase by nearly 40%. According to this estimate, the $699 PS5 Pro could cost you around $1,000; The $349 Nintendo Switch OLED could cost up to $490; And the $499 Xbox Series
considering Nintendo Switch 2 release date will likely be early 2025These potential price increases are certainly disappointing. on the plus side, Nintendo confirms that the Switch 2 will be backward compatibleSo if the price of the Switch 2 goes up to around $500 I’ll probably stick with my original Switch.
When will these potential tariffs go into effect?
It’s entirely possible that Trump’s proposed tariffs could be implemented on the first day of his second term: January 20, 2025.
Jake Colvin, president of the National Foreign Trade Council, said (via). CBS News), “If they decide on day one that they want to use executive authority to impose tariffs on Chinese goods, they can potentially go ahead and do that.”
Is it likely that tariffs will be imposed on day one? Probably not. You may have a few months to upgrade a PC before prices rise, depending on what actions the Trump administration prioritizes.
Inu Manak, trade policy fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations told CBS MoneyWatch Trump will likely implement the tariffs “immediately after taking office,” so buying your PC components as soon as possible will be the smartest way to avoid the price increase.
Tips for upgrading your PC setup
If you’re not sure where to start building your first tower or upgrading your PC components, we’ve got you covered. Here are our comprehensive guides how to build a pc And How to upgrade your PC To help you through the process.
Or, if you’re still in the research phase, trying to figure out which GPU can handle the games you want to play, how much RAM you actually need, for your first-time build. Which motherboard to choose, etc., we’ve tested a number of PC components and compiled a comprehensive list of our favorite picks:
