According to Wccftech, DDR5 memory prices have reached all-time highs with 16GB and 32GB kits now costing twice as much as they did just months ago. The price surge began between August and September when AI demand started driving up memory costs across consumer and enterprise markets. What started as expected 30% price increases has now ballooned to over 170% hikes for some DDR5 and DDR4 products. Specific examples show a 64GB DDR5 kit that sold for £255 in May 2023 now costs £495, while a 32GB DDR5-7600 kit that was $70 months ago now sees lower-end DDR5-6000 kits priced around $400. Current pricing shows 32GB DDR5-4800 kits selling for $160-$170 versus under $100 in August, with faster kits seeing even steeper increases. The shortages are expected to continue driving prices higher in coming months.
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The market carnage is real
Looking at the PCPartPicker memory price trends tells a brutal story. Entry-level 32GB DDR5 kits that were comfortably under $100 are now pushing $170. Mid-range 6000MT/s kits have jumped from reasonable territory to nearly $250. And here’s the thing – this isn’t just premium stuff getting more expensive. We’re talking about the basic kits that most people would buy for a mainstream build.
Amazon’s pricing is particularly shocking. Single 32GB DDR5-5600 modules over $150? Complete 32GB kits starting at $400? For context, you could build an entire decent PC for that kind of money not long ago. Newegg still has some reasonable prices, but as Wccftech notes, those will likely disappear as stock refreshes at new, higher prices.
The AI effect is crushing consumer tech
So what’s driving this madness? Basically, AI companies are vacuuming up all available memory production. When you’ve got trillion-dollar companies building data centers full of AI servers, they’ll pay whatever it takes to get the memory they need. And memory manufacturers? They’re not stupid – they’ll sell to whoever pays the most.
The ripple effects are brutal for regular consumers. PC builders waiting for the right moment to upgrade are getting absolutely hammered. Gamers who planned DDR5 builds for the holiday season are facing some tough choices. Do you pay double? Wait indefinitely? Or just stick with what you have?
Holiday PC sales are in trouble
Here’s where it gets really concerning. We’re heading into the Christmas shopping season with memory prices at record highs. Pre-built PC makers are facing the same component costs, meaning system prices will have to increase. How many people will look at a $1,500 gaming PC that was $1,200 last year and decide to wait?
The timing couldn’t be worse. PC sales have been struggling, and now component prices are making new systems significantly more expensive. This could easily lead to lower holiday sales across the entire PC industry. Manufacturers and retailers are stuck between raising prices and eating margins.
When will this madness end?
Nobody really knows. Memory manufacturers are reportedly increasing production, but that takes time – we’re talking months, not weeks. And AI demand shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, it’s accelerating as more companies jump on the AI bandwagon.
The scary part? This might not be temporary. If AI continues consuming massive amounts of memory, we could be looking at a new normal where consumer memory prices stay elevated. DDR4 is seeing increases too, just not as severe. And NAND flash for SSDs is expected to follow the same pattern soon.
For anyone thinking about building or upgrading a PC, the advice is simple: if you see DDR5 at a reasonable price, buy it now. Because tomorrow it might cost twice as much. And that’s not exaggeration – it’s literally happening.
