By the numbers: Tariffs on laptops & PC hardware punish your wallet

Tariffs are taxes. When they’re applied, they raise the cost of goods, so right now, U.S. residents (and those near enough to be affected) must pay more on tech products and other affected items.

But despite the flat numbers you may have seen in the news (i.e., a now 54 percent tariff on all imports from China, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports, and the looming possibility of a 25 percent tariff on semiconductor imports), price increases may not end up so exact. Their full effect isn’t known yet either, like possible lower availability of products, which could further affect costs. I cover these details in PCWorld’s FAQ on the tech tariffs, as well as in a quicker rundown if you only have time for the highlights. 

Even knowing that seeing what a 54 percent bump looks like in real numbers makes it feel more real—so I sat down and made some tables to illustrate. (Honestly, doing this exercise was as much for me as for you all.) The results drive home a point mentioned to me more than once during my research: Tariffs are a regressive form of taxes, meaning the less money you make, the harder you’re hit. At the same time, how pinched you feel will vary depending on the purchase’s importance.

Laptops

I pulled the details for six laptops that PCWorld reviewed before the Chinese tariffs began in February, looking to represent the usual range of purchases. At $500, you’ll pay $170 more with a 54 percent tariff imposed; at $1,700, you’ll pay almost a thousand dollars ($918) more.

For budget buyers, another $170 will make a material difference in affordability—and ultimately, user experience. In this price range, performance feels tangibly worse if you have to step down to a cheaper model. Meanwhile, laptops that cost $1,000 and up already begin with much more specs. Stepping down slashes luxury upgrades, rather than necessary ones.

No matter what, though, you end up paying more for less.

Graphics cards

Similar to laptops, the closer to entry-level you shop, the higher the real-world impact. A $50 increase on a $250 card already eats into any budget for extras—a card with better cooling, quieter acoustics, or a factory overclock. An increase of $136 could cause someone to skip the upgrade all together.

Whether you shop at the low- or high-end, though, the tariffs will further disconnect the actual cost for graphics cards from their MSRP. Partner cards already went for another 20 to 30 percent above the reference cards produced by AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. Add in both the tariffs and demand (especially for newer cards with little stock available) and a reference card’s list price will likely have little resemblance to street pricing.

Monitors

Would a difference of $40 make you choose a different budget gaming monitor? Maybe not, actually. Most people buy a monitor and hang on to it for far longer than their PC. In fact, if you’re a laptop user, a monitor may be a splurge or upgrade purchase—something to increase the comfort of your setup at home, rather than a necessity.

Still, the tariffs could cause a delay in when your budget will be ready for purchase—especially if costs continue to rise.

Peripherals and accessories

Like monitors, you won’t buy a mouse, keyboard, or dock until you must (or you decide you want the upgrade). And because peripherals and accessories are largely more affordable, you may just bite the bullet and take the hit of a 54 percent increase if the price is low enough, as the Lemokey X0 keypad illustrates.

But the cost jump isn’t invisible. Sure, the Lemokey is already one of the most affordable gaming keypads available, so it still feels potentially tolerable at $51. But an extra $38 for a gaming mouse isn’t nothing. You can buy yourself a game with that money.