Bring-your-own RAM is becoming more common among PC system builders as they look to avoid the constant price tag churn driven by ever-rising memory prices. PCWorld reports that both Maingear and Paradox Customs are now selling RAMless PCs, giving buyers the option of paying less for a system, and perhaps re-using memory they already have.
For DIY and custom PC buyers and builders, the story of 2025 was one of constantly rising memory and storage prices, and 2026 looks set to be much of the same. To get around that, some system builders have opted to sell only specific memory configurations and speeds to cut down on their own stock needs. They’re also now offering some systems without any RAM at all.
But while the much lower price tags for gaming or office PCs might seem attractive, there are additional concerns to consider. For starters, unless you already have the RAM you need, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find any at all at a good price. Your purchasing power is certainly much less than Maingear’s or Paradox’s, so your pricing for memory is unlikely to be any better unless you get lucky on a flash sale somewhere.
On top of that, what happens if and when you run into compatibility issues? If that system starts crashing after you install the new memory, is it your job to fix it, or the system builder’s? What if you have an RMA issue a year from now? Are they going to repair it, or claim your choice of RAM was the issue and it’s not their problem?
I’m not speculating that these companies have poor support departments, but the compliance issues are compounded when you mix DIY and custom-built systems. Installing RAM isn’t difficult, but someone will push too hard and crack their motherboard. What then?
The biggest selling point of buying a pre-built system is that it should work exactly as you want from day one and continue to do so for years to come. If that stops, you’re supposed to be able to call someone to fix it.
But if you have chosen, sourced, and installed the memory yourself, do you even have a warranty if something goes wrong? It’s definitely something you’ll want to clear up before buying any RAMless PC.
