Russia has faced work stoppages and disrupted deliveries from major chipmakers and PC hardware suppliers, including AMD, Intel, Nvidia, and others. This has driven component shortages and steep prices for those looking to upgrade their systems. Earlier, the German online retailer Computer Universe offered relief from inflated offers and high costs in the Russian market, but recently it was reported that orders from Russia were suspended effective March 1.
There were other avenues to acquire PC parts, consoles, and related gear. AliExpress continued to operate and remained a familiar platform for many buyers in Russia, with processors, video cards, motherboards, and more readily available there and served under its marketplace umbrella. Alexander Beslik, chief information officer at the Russian firm HFLabs, noted in an interview with socialbites.ca that several European stores no longer accept Russian orders, yet AliExpress remained accessible for component purchases. He cautioned that prices there can vary with the dollar and emphasized buying only current-generation processors on AliExpress, which could yield savings of up to 10,000 rubles. He added that some items still present value in the Russian market, but overall pricing has risen as large deliveries stall.
Availability persists, but the cost of hardware in Russia has climbed, and demand has cooled. Prices are expected to rise further if new shipments do not arrive. The expert pointed out that buyers seeking savings may try to source inexpensive parts while still aiming for the latest kits on AliExpress, typically composed of a processor, memory, and a motherboard. However, he warned of risks tied to shipping reliability, seller credibility, and overall performance when buying from overseas sellers.
noticeable difference
When it comes to processors, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X from Chinese vendors is typically listed around $330, which equates to roughly 37,400 rubles in the described exchange. This processor appeared cheaper in some Russian retailers, such as DNS, where it was priced around 45,400 rubles, while competing stores tended to charge around 5,000 rubles more on average.
The ASUS TUF B550-PLUS motherboard can be found in the official ASUS store on AliExpress for about $113, translating to roughly 12,800 rubles when paid in dollars. In contrast, the Citylink listing for the same model showed a price near 20,000 rubles. Over the past several years, crypto mining has elevated the cost of graphics hardware, making GPUs among the priciest components for many builds.
For instance, a productive NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB graphics card is advertised on AliExpress in the official MSI store for about $1,400, or around 158,700 rubles when paid via a QIWI wallet. Citylink offered the same model for about 151,600 rubles, signaling how varied pricing can be across channels and payment methods.
Kingston HyperX FURY Black RGB 16GB (two 8GB modules) is available on AliExpress for $73, with a QIWI payment option around 8,270 rubles. In Russia, a pair of identical modules from DNS is typically priced around 9,800 rubles. For storage, the popular Samsung 1TB SSD EVO 860 tends to fetch about $162 on AliExpress, roughly 18,300 rubles at the QIWI rate, with similar figures seen on other marketplaces. Drivers and related components commonly hover around 20,400 rubles in local markets.
In Russia, it often makes sense to buy cases, coolers, and fans domestically, since prices for these items are not far from overseas rates. Overall, the cost to assemble a PC using AliExpress parts for a Russian buyer tends to run around 235,470 rubles for basic components and about 247,200 rubles for a full build compared to sourcing within Russia.
Therefore, for a high-performance setup with up-to-date components, it is prudent to determine which items are more financially advantageous to purchase domestically versus from abroad. The total difference in assembly costs between China and Russia was found to be about 11,700 rubles, or roughly five percent, when comparing comprehensive configurations.
It is also important to recognize the potential hurdles when buying non officially sourced parts or from sellers without brand-backed storefronts. Returns can be challenging if a defect is found or a shipment is lost, and similar issues may occur when purchasing from gray market sources in Russia. When investing in expensive components on AliExpress, buyers should verify that the seller is an official store for brands like ASUS or AMD, rather than a private seller attempting to mimic major brands. Customer reviews should be consulted to gauge reliability before purchasing.
— Endnotes and practical guidance are drawn from industry observations and market analyses reported by industry professionals and market insiders. These inputs help buyers weigh the risks and benefits of cross-border hardware sourcing amid fluctuating exchange rates and regional supply constraints.