Hey gamers, bad news—building your next PC might cost a lot more soon. Manufacturers like Silverstone and InWin are sounding the alarm about new tariffs that’ll jack up prices on stuff like PC cases and graphics cards. Thanks to trade changes from the Trump administration, your dream rig could hit your wallet harder than expected.
The word’s out from folks who make PC parts and custom builds. They’re saying these tariffs are going to bump up costs for everything—whether you’re going all-out on a killer gaming setup or keeping it cheap. Kelt Reeves from Falcon Northwest told PC Mag his crew’s already feeling the pinch from a 20% tariff on Chinese stuff, plus a surprise 25% hit on aluminum imports like PC cases. He’s worried another 25% hike could kick in by May, pushing tariffs to a whopping 70%.
Silverstone, the folks behind that cool beige PC case, and InWin are in the same boat. They’re dealing with the same 20% and 25% tariffs on Chinese goods and told PC Mag they’ll have to pass those costs on to us when stock runs low. It’s not just cases either—tariff codes are set to mess with pricey parts like CPUs and GPUs too. The Consumer Technology Association says there’s “no escaping” these extra costs on graphics cards and other bits.
Then there’s Trump’s latest tariff bombshell on April 3—34% on Chinese goods and 32% from Taiwan. We don’t know exactly how bad it’ll get yet, but it’s looking pricier for gamers in the months ahead. Thinking of building soon? Might want to jump on it before prices climb higher. Check out our “how to build a gaming PC” guide—it’s got everything you need to pick parts and set up Windows without the stress.
