Uhhm sometimes you realize how lucky you been buying your PC Upgrade at the right time.
Shortly after Gamescom 2025 I upgraded my home desktop to new CPU and Motherboard also decided to make the jump from DDR4 to DDR5…
I read about the recent explosion in RAM prices but little did I realize how huge it actually is on some specific RAM Models. An eye opener screenshot, the Store page where I bought my 64 GB DDR5 MT6000 Kit. Same Kit in September vs exactly 3 Month later in December. 264 € vs 1.748 € Uhmmm…
But why?
RAM prices keep climbing because the big memory makers are chasing higher profits from AI and enterprise contracts. Hyperscalers building AI data centers are locking down huge long-term deals for HBM, DDR5, and LPDDR5X, leaving almost no wafer capacity for the consumer-level DDR4 and DDR5 sticks everyone else needs. At the same time, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are shutting down older production lines and focusing on pricier components, which squeezes the PC and mobile market even more.
Micron already walked away from retail, and there aren’t any new fabs coming online soon, so the market is more consolidated than ever. That gives the remaining suppliers even more control over pricing. Since mid-2025, consumer RAM costs have basically tripled. DIY builders are waiting out upgrades, and even big PC brands can’t get enough inventory. Unless demand from AI projects cools off or new production capacity shows up, DRAM isn’t a cheap commodity anymore—it’s a pressure point across the entire electronics supply chain.
PC-Part Picker have a good general average graph which is showing the Range of the Impact:
Back to Normal?
Not what I hoped but many Experts expect the DRAM crunch to drag on for years, with only a small hint of balance showing up around late 2027 or 2028. Through most of 2026, AI projects will keep hogging wafer allocations, so DDR5 and LPDDR5X stay pricey while DDR4 pops in and out of stock. Even when SK hynix lights up M15X or Micron ramps its Japan fab, most of that fresh output goes straight into HBM for datacenter GPUs, not the consumer kits we actually buy.
Memory makers seem happier protecting margins than cranking out extra volume, which keeps oversupply risk tiny but locks in scarcity pricing. Analysts figure DRAM will sit about 50-100% above pre-2025 price levels until at least 2027, easing only when new global capacity and a cooler AI buildout finally line up. Honestly, cheap RAM might be gone for good. AI turned DRAM into a strategic resource, not the impulse add-on at checkout. If you’re planning a build, take a careful look, the time you shop for Brand Name or optics in a Gaming Rig are sadly over :(
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