As the impact of rising memory prices spreads into the gaming laptop market, the cost burden for high-spec products is growing, but some models are still seen as viable options.

On the issue, TechRadar, an IT media outlet, said on May 7 that after reviewing recent major discounted products, actual component configurations have become more important than headline discount rates.

Over the past few months, memory prices have surged, and the impact has expanded beyond the assembled PC market to gaming laptops overall. It said cases are increasing in which products in the same price range come with reduced specifications such as memory capacity, processors or graphics cards. That has led to assessments that buyers who purchase based only on the graphics card name are more likely to encounter performance configurations below expectations.

TechRadar selected 4 products that it said currently maintain relatively balanced configurations in the market. The first recommended product is the Asus TUF Gaming F16, selling at Best Buy for $1,299. Its previous price was $1,649. It has an RTX 5060 graphics card, an Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. TechRadar said, "An uncompromising configuration thanks to 32GB of RAM and a solid Core i7 chipset," and called it "a reasonable choice" for users who want appropriate gaming performance without a big burden.

The second is the Alienware 16 Aurora, on sale at the same Best Buy for $1,374. Its original price was $1,749. It pairs an RTX 5060 with an Intel Core 7 processor, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. TechRadar said premium brands such as Alienware are somewhat expensive, but that this model offers "quite good value" by current standards, adding that users who prefer high-end brands may consider it.

For users seeking higher-tier performance, the Acer Nitro V17, selling on Amazon for $1,499, was recommended. There is no separate discount, but it is assessed as having strong price-to-performance with an RTX 5070 graphics card, a Ryzen 7 processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. TechRadar described it as "a gem-like product rarely seen in the current market." It added that because it is a 17-inch large-screen model, portability could be a drawback for users who prioritise mobility.

The fourth product is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, selling at Best Buy for $2,099. Its previous price was $2,549. It has an RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The price is high, but it is assessed as competitive among high-end gaming laptops. TechRadar said it is a model that balances portability, premium design and strong component configuration, and described it as a high-end laptop that can be used 충분히 for several years.

This assessment stands out for using actual component combinations rather than simple discount rates as its 기준. In the current market, even with the same graphics card, perceived value differences are growing depending on memory capacity and processor tier. In particular, it concluded that among RTX 5060-class products, there are many cases where only the price is lowered at the expense of the overall configuration.

It also showed that when choosing a high-spec gaming laptop, buyers should look not only at the graphics card but also at memory capacity and chipset combinations. In an environment of higher memory prices, which parts are retained within the same budget can be key to purchase decisions. As the trend of rising memory prices continues, maintaining configuration strength rather than price-to-performance is becoming a more important competitive factor even in the high-spec gaming laptop market.