Research-based guide. Prices and specs are sourced and dated, not tested by us. No affiliate links.

The short answer

Black Friday 2026 is on Friday 27 November, and Cyber Monday is on Monday 30 November. Many retailers start their sales weeks earlier. This year a big percentage off can still be a high price, because RAM, SSD and graphics card prices have risen during the memory shortage. The safest approach is to decide what you need now, write down today’s prices, and compare any “deal” against the price history, not against the crossed-out price.

Key dates

Event	2026 date
US Thanksgiving	Thursday 26 November
Black Friday	Friday 27 November
Cyber Monday	Monday 30 November

Overclockers UK and PC Gamer both give these dates. PC Gamer also notes that Black Friday is better thought of as a weekend running into Cyber Monday, that sales can start in early November or even late October, and that HP had already launched what it called early Black Friday deals. If you see a “Black Friday” price today, it is not necessarily the lowest price you will see.

Why 2026 is different: the memory shortage

We explain the cause in our guide to why PC parts cost so much. For shoppers, the practical effect is that sale prices start from a higher base.

• Forecasts (secondary sources): a PC retailer’s guide relays a TrendForce forecast of conventional DRAM contract prices rising another 10 to 15% in the fourth quarter, and NAND flash (the memory in SSDs) rising 15 to 20%. Other outlets relay a Gartner projection of a combined DRAM and SSD price rise of about 130% across 2026. Treat these as forecasts, not facts about any specific product.
• Graphics cards (reported): an 8 October 2026 retailer guide listed the lowest US price for an RTX 5070 at $799 against a $549 launch price. A price-tracking site put the same card at about $820 in late October, against a 90-day low of about $616 in July. Different trackers and retailers will show different numbers, which is why you should check yourself.
• Editorial view from PC Gamer: its Australian edition says shoppers hoping to buy an SSD, RAM or a GPU at 2025 prices during Black Friday should expect disappointment, because the component crisis is unlikely to ease before late November.
• Vendor warnings (reported): last year CyberPowerPC and Maingear told customers to consider buying early because memory costs were rising, and Maingear said some Black Friday prebuilt units had been sheltered from the increases. We could not confirm whether the same applies to specific systems this year.
• Deal size (estimate): one retailer-run guide projects only about $30 to $100 off graphics cards. That is one projection, not a promise, and actual discounts will vary by card and store.

How to spot a bad deal

Consumer group Which? checked the price history of 175 Black Friday deals in the UK in 2024. Every product was cheaper or the same price at some point in the six months before or after the sale day, and 35% were cheaper after the sale period. Which? also warns that a crossed-out recommended retail price may never have been charged by the retailer. That is UK data and not specific to gaming hardware, but it shows why checking history matters.

1. Write down today’s price. Pick the exact model you want and note its current price at two or three retailers before the sales begin. Everything is then measured against your own record.
2. Check the price history. Free tools include CamelCamelCamel and Keepa for Amazon, PriceSpy and PriceRunner in some countries, PCPartPicker for components, and Google’s price tracking in Google Shopping. If you cannot find any history of the higher “was” price, it may be marketing.
3. Ignore the crossed-out price. Retailers often show a recommended retail price as the “was” price, and some raise prices before a sale. The question is what the product cost last month, not what the label says.
4. Compare the full spec, not the model name. For laptops and prebuilt PCs, check the GPU, VRAM, RAM, storage and, on laptops, the GPU power limit. Our laptop spec guide explains what to look for, and the build, buy or wait guide covers the bigger decision.
5. Watch for old stock. Retailers use sales to clear previous-generation products. That can be fine if the price is right and you know what you are buying.
6. Remember that promoted deals are often ads. Heavily promoted deals are sometimes paid placements with mediocre savings, so verify before you trust a banner, including ours.
7. Buy from sellers you know. Be careful with unfamiliar shops and with links in unsolicited emails or messages. When unsure, go to the retailer’s site directly.

What to buy and what to skip

Editorial opinion, based on the sources above and not on our own testing:

• RAM and SSDs: do not wait for a big drop. Several outlets expect continued increases, so buy the capacity you actually need and avoid upgrading just because it is on sale.
• Graphics cards: only buy if the price is clearly below the recent history you have recorded, and compare cards by VRAM and performance, not only by discount.
• Gaming laptops and prebuilt PCs: these are the hardest to judge, because the same model name can ship with different parts. Compare complete specs and the seller’s return policy.
• Monitors, keyboards, mice and headsets: these do not depend on RAM or SSD chips in the same way, so they are less likely to be hit by the shortage, and PC Gamer says peripherals traditionally get the biggest sale discounts. They still need the same price-history check.

Checklist before you click buy

• Is this the exact model and configuration I researched?
• Is the price below its recent history, not just below the “was” price?
• Do I need it now, or am I buying because of the countdown timer?
• Do I know the return policy and warranty?
• Does the total price include tax and shipping?

We refresh this guide around 23 November with current dates and price context. How we source our guides is explained on the About page.

Sources

• Overclockers UK: Black Friday 2026 dates
• PC Gamer (Australian edition): Black Friday 2026 PC gaming deals, what to expect (updated 21 October 2026)
• MetaPCs: Gaming PC Black Friday 2026 (retailer guide, 8 October 2026 prices)
• Bottleneck PC: Black Friday 2026 PC parts prices to beat
• SellGPU: Black Friday GPU deals 2026 (retailer-run projection)
• Shattered: memory shortage and PC prices (relays Gartner and Bernstein)
• Tom’s Guide: PC makers on RAM and SSD price rises
• Which?: how to avoid fake Black Friday deals (UK, 6 November 2025)
• Parcel Monitor: price-tracking tools explained

Last updated: 25 October 2026.