RAM and SSD prices have jumped as much as 500% since late 2025, and the reason isn’t inflation or a chip shortage in the traditional sense — it’s AI data centers buying up nearly every gigabyte of memory manufacturers can produce. I priced out a build for a friend last week and had to double-check the numbers three times. A 32GB DDR5 kit that sold for $80 to $120 a year ago is now running around $439 at major retailers. That’s not a typo, and it’s not a one-off. It’s the new normal, and it’s going to stay that way for a while.
What’s actually happening to memory prices
Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung make almost all the DRAM and NAND flash in the world. There’s no fourth option to undercut them, and all three have spent the past year redirecting fab capacity toward the memory that AI data centers need — high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for training clusters and high-capacity DDR5 for inference servers. Analysts at IDC now estimate AI data centers will account for roughly 70% of global memory output in 2026, up from somewhere between 20% and 30% just four years ago in 2022.
Micron went as far as shutting down its Crucial consumer memory brand entirely, shifting that production over to AI-side customers. SK Hynix has reportedly sold out its 2026 production capacity already. When the three companies that make basically all the world’s RAM decide consumer PCs are the lower-margin business, this is what happens to the shelf price.
The numbers back it up: TrendForce and other supply-chain analysts tracked conventional DRAM contract prices rising 90-95% quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2026, with NAND flash up 55-60% over the same stretch. Q2 wasn’t much better — DRAM up another 58-63%, NAND up 70-75%. Tom’s Hardware reported in late June that the surge is finally starting to cool as consumers simply stop buying at these prices, but AI demand is still strong enough to keep DRAM and NAND climbing through Q3 2026.
Quick-reference: what’s changed since late 2025
| Metric | Late 2025 | Mid 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 32GB DDR5 kit (avg. street price) | $80–$120 | ~$439 |
| Global memory (DRAM/NAND) prices | Baseline | Up to +500% |
| SSD prices | Baseline | Up ~100% |
| Memory as share of PC component cost (per HP) | 15–18% | ~35% |
| Mainstream laptop price increase (Dell/Lenovo/Acer/ASUS) | — | +15–30% |
| Projected relief | — | Not before late 2027, possibly 2028 |
It’s not just PC builders anymore
For most of this decade, memory price swings were a PC-builder problem — annoying if you were assembling a rig, invisible to everyone else. That’s not true anymore. HP disclosed that memory now makes up about 35% of a PC’s total component cost, up from just 15-18% a single quarter earlier. Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS have all raised laptop prices by 15% to 30% to cover it, which means a midrange laptop that cost $900 last year can run past $1,200 now. Phone makers are feeling it too, since flagship handsets pack DRAM and NAND the same way laptops do.
I’ve seen the frustration firsthand in build forums and comment sections. One comment I keep seeing paraphrased across Reddit threads sums it up well: people who bought a kit for $75 in October 2025 are now looking at $420 for the identical part, and calling it exactly what it looks like — not a supply problem, but AI infrastructure hoarding the world’s memory supply.
Why this isn’t a short-term blip
Building new DRAM and NAND fabs takes years, not months. IDC’s supply growth projections for 2026 — 16% year-over-year for DRAM, 17% for NAND — are well below what’s needed to catch up with demand that’s being driven by roughly $650 billion in combined 2026 AI capital expenditure from the four biggest U.S. cloud players. Even optimistic analysts aren’t projecting meaningful relief before late 2027, and some pushback estimates run into 2028. There’s also a real chance prices never fully return to pre-surge levels even after supply catches up, since higher pricing tends to stick once it becomes the market’s new baseline.
If you’ve been putting off a PC build waiting for a “good time,” I’ll be straight with you: there isn’t one on the near horizon. If you already have a working machine, this is a fine year to just keep using it.
What to actually do if you need to buy or build now
- If you’re on a tight budget: look at older DDR4 platforms. They’re not caught up in the DDR5/HBM crunch the same way, and used DDR4 kits are still reasonably priced.
- If you need DDR5 for a current-gen build: buy the capacity you need now rather than waiting, since analyst consensus points to prices staying flat-to-up through Q3 2026 rather than dropping.
- If you’re buying a prebuilt laptop or desktop: compare configurations carefully — the RAM upgrade option at checkout is priced at a much steeper markup than it was a year ago, so it’s worth checking if a lower-spec model plus your own upgrade later works out cheaper (see our guide on how much RAM you actually need in 2026).
- If storage is the bottleneck: SSD prices are up too but less dramatically than DRAM, so this is a reasonable year to prioritize an SSD upgrade over a RAM upgrade if you have to pick one (our SSD vs. HDD comparison can help you figure out what you actually need).
FAQ
Why are RAM and SSD prices so high in 2026?
AI data centers are consuming an estimated 70% of global memory output in 2026, and the three companies that make nearly all the world’s DRAM and NAND (Micron, SK Hynix, Samsung) have shifted production capacity toward AI-grade memory, sharply reducing supply for consumer PCs and phones.
When will RAM prices go back down?
Analysts don’t expect meaningful relief before late 2027, and possibly not until 2028, since new fabrication capacity takes years to build. Some analysts also think prices may never fully return to pre-2025 levels.
Should I buy RAM now or wait?
If you need it for a build today, buy what you need now — prices are forecast to stay flat to higher through Q3 2026, not drop. Waiting is only a reasonable bet if your current setup still works fine.
Is DDR4 a good workaround for the DDR5 price surge?
Yes, for budget builds. DDR4 hasn’t been swept up in the AI-driven DDR5/HBM shortage to the same degree, and used DDR4 kits remain comparatively affordable if your motherboard supports it.
Sources: Tom’s Hardware.
Jared is a tech journalist covering product launches, industry news, and the culture around technology. He has been reporting on the consumer tech beat for more than eight years.