DDR5 memory prices have reached an all-time high, with several 16 GB & 32 GB kits now twice as expensive due to shortages in supply.
Bad News For Gamers & PC Builders: DDR5 Memory Modules Are Now Twice As Expensive, All Due To Shortages Caused By AI Demand
We have been covering the DDR5 price hikes for over a month now, and it all started between August & September when we first started hearing about AI demand skyrocketing the prices for memory across the consumer and enterprise spectrum. Back then, price bumps of up to 30% were expected, but as time went by, prices saw further hikes, up to 80% and just recently, we reported over 170% price hikes for DDR5 and DDR4 memory products.
And it looks like the memory prices, especially for DDR5 products, have gotten out of control, with as much as 2x price hikes over what they were selling at just a few months ago. Twitter fellow, @ghost_motley, has stated that a 64 GB DDR5 kit that he got for £255 back in May 2023 is currently selling for £495. Similarly, Uniko's Hardware states that they were able to sell a 32 GB DDR5-7600 kit for $70 US a few months ago; a lower-end DDR5-6000 kit is currently priced around $400 US.
Looking at the DDR5 memory price trends at PCPartPicker, we can see a similar 2x price increase for various DDR5 memory kits. The price increase also affects DDR4 memory, but let's focus on the DDR5 DRAM first.
Starting at the low-end, a 32 GB kit (16 GB x 2) rated at 4800 MT/s is currently selling for close to $160-$170 US. The same kits were selling for under $100 US back in August. The 5200 MT/s kits are currently being sold for close to $200 US, up from around $110-$120 US just a few months back. The 5600 MT/s kits are in a similar situation, and 6000 MT/s kits are now being sold for close to $250 US.
32 GB (16 GB x 2) DDR5-4800 Price Trend (via PCPartPicker):
32 GB (16 GB x 2) DDR5-5200 Price Trend (via PCPartPicker):
32 GB (16 GB x 2) DDR5-5600 Price Trend (via PCPartPicker):
32 GB (16 GB x 2) DDR5-6000 Price Trend (via PCPartPicker):
Over at Amazon US, the cheapest 32 GB DDR5-5600 modules are being sold for over $150 US. Do keep in mind that this is a single module. 32 GB kits, which comprise two 16 GB sticks, are priced at $400+ US, & these are entry-level 5600-6400 MT/s modules. Faster 32 GB kits are priced above $600 US. Newegg still has decent prices, but given the price hikes, we expect most of these modules to run out of stock & get restocked with higher listed prices in the coming days.
The 16 GB modules rated at 4800-5600 MT/s speeds are priced at $100 US., once again, these are single modules. 16 GB (8 GB x 2) kits are priced above $300 US at Amazon.
As AI demand continues to climb, we expect more shortages for DRAM products such as DDR5 and DDR4 memory in the coming months, leading to higher prices. But it's not just DRAM that will be affected; NAND Flash, which is the main component for SSDs (Consumer / Enterprise), is also expected to see price hikes in the coming months.
Higher DRAM prices will definitely affect PC builders and gamers who have been waiting to purchase new components for their PCs. This can also lead to an adverse effect on PC sales as increased prices during the Christmas season would lead to lower sales. Currently, there's no telling when prices will return to normal, but it will be a few months before we start seeing normalcy in the DRAM segment.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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