Driven by a growing demand for AI, memory prices are increasing at rates not seen in the industry for years. According to TechNews, which cited PCMag, PC RAM prices have surged sharply, with a 64GB kit of DDR5 now topping $500, above the price of a Sony PlayStation 5.
The report says that, compared to earlier this year, price increases now lie in the range of 120% to 200%, with DDR5 modules being particularly hard hit. According to data from PCPartPicker.com, for instance, the average price for a pair of 32GB DDR5 sticks (64GB total) has risen beyond $600 from about $200. The report also adds from PCPartPicker that DDR4 and DDR5 prices continue to go up.
It also notes that for 128GB of DDR5 RAM, prices hit $1,000—a big jump from the usual $400 range. Moreover, as pointed out in the report, this is well beyond the price of a PS5 Pro, which is presently discounted to $649 for Black Friday.
The report cites sources in saying that, as pricing becomes increasingly unstable, a Micro Center store in Texas has removed all posted prices for DDR5 products. In its place, the store has put up a sign instructing customers to speak with a sales associate for current pricing.
Meanwhile, rising memory prices are raising alarms across the gaming industry. According to TweakTown, Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney warns that skyrocketing RAM costs driven by AI demand diverting away DRAM capacity from consumer products will weigh on the high-end gaming market for several years.
Moreover, according to TechNews, industry sources said that AI demand is pressuring DRAM supply and could cause shortages in SSD supplies as well, which may even push SSD prices up. The result of the memory tightening could be that the prices of smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices are set higher in 2026.
Beyond consumer RAM, the wider memory market is tightening up. According to TrendForce, the memory industry has entered a strong upward pricing cycle, lifting system-level costs across the board. That, in turn, forces downstream brands to raise retail prices, putting additional pressure on the consumer market.
Tight DRAM Supply to Drive Up DDR5 Contract Prices- Profitability to Exceed HBM3e in 2026, Says TrendForce Rising Memory Prices Weigh on Consumer Markets; 2026 Smartphone and Notebook Outlook Revised Downward, Says TrendForce.
