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(Image credit: Getty) Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 5 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google The ongoing memory shortage has spiraled so out of control that even the spacious aisles of Costco are apparently no longer safe from its RAMifications. A customer has just shared photos from their local store, where the demo units on display no longer have any memory installed in them, suggesting the store may have removed them to prevent them from being stolen. Shoplifting is a common issue at large retailers like Costco, but the vendor has only done this for GPUs previously.
Many of the comments theorize that the theft may have already occurred and that Costco, like other stores, simply doesn't replace the stolen parts with new ones because they know they'll just be stolen again. Three of the four computers in the image above still have GPUs mounted inside, possibly hinting that this wasn't foul play. The PC on the right, though, has no GPU or RAM, likely because it's the most expensive offering at $2,600.
The top reply to this post is from a shopper who says the Costco near them actually caught someone on camera stealing from PCs, but the deed had been done by that point. Many other people in the thread also chimed in with personal anecdotes about how their local Costco (and Walmart) also has no memory or graphics cards installed, so this could be either a widespread security measure or indeed a widespread shoplifting issue.
Japanese PC shops limit SSD, HDD, and RAM purchases to prevent hoarding as storage and memory shortage takes hold
Memory MSRPs and fixed price tags disappear at Micro Center as some stores shift to spot pricing
Thieves are starting to steal RAM now that it's as expensive as gold
Key considerations
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/costco-removes-ram-from-its-display-pcs-to-prevent-tech-savvy-shoplifters-gpus-also-absent-across-stores-as-pc-parts-become-a-hot-commodity#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.