Qualcomm aims Snapdragon C laptop chip at the budget laptop segment, as manufacturers feel the DRAM squeeze — analysts warn sub $500 laptop market may disappear before 2028

Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon C Platform, an entry-level Arm chip for Windows 11 laptops aimed at roughly $300 devices.

The chip uses older Kryo cores, can run with as little as 8GB of memory, and does not qualify for Copilot+ branding.

Acer’s Aspire Go 15 is the first announced laptop using the new platform.

At the same time, TrendForce, Gartner, and IDC warned that soaring DRAM and SSD prices are making budget laptops harder to build and sell.

Analysts say the sub-$500 PC segment could shrink sharply, even disappear within a few years, as component costs rise.