New Macs and PCs cost up to 18% more, thanks to AI. Before you pay up, let your favorite chatbot give the computer you own a free checkup.

Bad news. Your next computer is going to cost you more. Here’s the damage since June:

• MacBook Neo: $599 to $699 (up 17%)
• MacBook Air: $1,099 to $1,299 (up 18%)
• MacBook Pro: $1,699 to $1,999 (up 18%)
• Windows PCs: up 17% on average over last year, Gartner estimates

Blame AI. Data centers are gobbling up the memory chips that go in your laptop, and research firm IDC doesn’t expect relief before the end of 2027.

So here’s my move. Make the computer you already own run like new.

Your PC or Mac keeps a detailed health report on itself. Nobody reads it because it runs thousands of lines. AI reads it in seconds. (Last year, I showed you free AI tech support. This is the next level: Your computer does the talking.)

🩺 Grab the report

• Windows: Press Windows key + R, type msinfo32 and click OK. Then File > Export and save it to your desktop.
• Mac: Hold the Option key, click the Apple menu > System Information. Then File > Print > PDF > Save as PDF.

Upload the file to ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude. Free versions work. Then paste this:

You’re a friendly computer tech. Read this system report. Ask me up to five questions about what’s bugging me. Then sort what you find into Fix Now, Worth a Look and Looks Healthy, with plain-English steps. No registry edits, BIOS changes or reinstalling the operating system.

🔧 What it catches

It reads the whole report and spots the usual suspects:

• A drive nearly full, the No. 1 cause of a sluggish computer
• Programs launching at startup that you never asked for
• Outdated drivers that cause crashes and freezes
• Too little memory for how you use it

FYI, the report includes your computer’s name, your username and serial numbers. It has no files, photos or passwords. Skim it before you upload if that bugs you.

Treat AI like a sharp friend, not a surgeon. If it says your drive is failing, back up today and get a pro.

Bonus for laptops: Check your battery’s health. On a Mac, go to System Settings > Battery and click the i next to Battery Health. On Windows, open Command Prompt and type powercfg /batteryreport.

A new Mac laptop starts at $699. A new battery costs a fraction of that.

My computer keeps screaming at me that it’s run out of memory. But it’s all bark and no byte.

🗣️ Text/post this stat: Apple raised the MacBook Pro by $300 this year because AI is hogging memory chips. Your old computer might only need a free AI checkup. GetKim.com

📩 Send this to someone who’s about to spend $1,300 on a new laptop because the old one “feels slow.”