A RAMageddon guide to back-to-school laptop shopping

The article advises students to be more selective as the ongoing RAM and storage crunch pushes laptop prices higher. It recommends avoiding underpowered bargain models, aiming for 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage when possible, and considering Apple silicon Macs or recent Intel, AMD, and some Snapdragon X Windows laptops.

Memory supply constraints are turning laptop buying into a longer-term value calculation, especially for college students who need machines to last several years. The guidance reflects a broader shift toward future-proofing specs as component scarcity and AI-driven demand reshape consumer electronics pricing.