Consumer-focused DRAM saw a major spike in prices in Q2 vs Q1, with DDR4 memory floating at 50% and LPDDR around 80% due to persistent shortages.
Consumer DRAM Prices Jumped Over 50% In Q2 vs Q1, DDR4 Now Averages 50%, While LPDDR Up To 89% Expensive
DRAM makers are only focused on making profits rather than thinking about the widespread impact their prioritizations have on the consumer segment. With AI being on top of the list, general-purpose DRAM, which includes DDR and LPDDR memory, has faced the brunt of the widespread shortages, leading to massive price hikes.
In the latest research by SigmaIntel, the firm states that consumer memory prices swelled by up to 89% in the second quarter of 2026. The prices weren't up versus last year, but versus the last quarter, showing just how brutal things have been in the consumer segment.
Breaking down each segment, a 16 Gb (2GB) DRAM module now costs an average of $28.5 US vs $19.2 in the previous quarter, marking a 49% bump. Meanwhile, a 16 GB DDR4 stick, which used to cost $137 in the previous quarter, is now selling for $207.1 US, marking a 51% bump. The Q1 prices were already inflated due to shortages that started in the second half of 2025, and there has been no stopping this price increase. Things are way worse in the DDR5 segments, but they have not been included in the report.
On the LPDDR segment, 32 Gb (4GB) ICs were up 75%. These modules were selling for $26.2 in the previous quarter and are now being sold at $45.9. 96 Gb (12 GB) LPDDR5X modules were up 89%, marking the single biggest jump in DRAM prices. These modules were selling for $77.1 in the previous quarter, and are now being sold at $145.9.
Storage Segment Also In Dire Straits
For Storage, SSD prices have also been going out of control. A 512 GB NVMe Gen4 SSD is now priced at $126.3 US, marking a 54% hike versus the previous quarter, while 256 GB UFS 3.1 for storage is also up by a massive 103%, with prices now sitting at $62.7% versus $31 in the last quarter.
16 GB eMMC 5.1 flash is also up 69% ($22.6 vs $13.4), and uMCP is up 107% ($150.4 vs $72.5%). These NAND flash and SSD solutions make up for the wide majority of PCs and Smartphones & the resultant price hike will also incur a surge in product prices, which we are already seeing.
Laptop and Smartphone makers have already raised prices across the board. Gaming consoles have also gone up, and Valve's recent Steam Machine also faced negative reception due to its higher prices, which are primarily driven by memory and storage shortages.
16 GB DDR4 used to retail for around $60-$70 while 16 GB DDR5 modules were amply available in the $90-$100 US range. These are now selling for 2-3x their original rates. SSDs have also jumped significantly. Yesterday, we were casually browsing the discounted SSD lists and saw that even with discounts, a 1 TB Gen4, which used to retail for around $70-$80, was being sold at $130-$150 US.
We don't expect any major changes in the pricing trend. With shortages lasting up to 2028, these will continue to get worse or remain the same (which will be the best-case scenario). Reports that DRAM manufacturers may prioritize general-purpose DRAM over HBM are floating about, but that is just to gain more profits.
News Source: The Elec (Korea)
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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