RAM Prices Soar: AI Demand Causes Shortages Until 2027

The situation has reached a critical level rarely seen in the industry. Samsung has already substantially increased its pricing, and some product launches, including Nvidia’s RTX 50 Super series, are now potentially at risk of cancellation or delay due to memory availability. Simply put, there isn’t enough RAM to meet current demand.

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Traditionally, major hardware manufacturers such as Asus and MSI operate with long-term contracts, negotiating fixed prices with memory suppliers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, and receiving components on a pre-established schedule. That model has now broken down. These same companies are now behaving like retail buyers, aggressively purchasing on the spot market, where prices fluctuate in real-time based on supply and demand.

According to DigiTimes, Asus currently holds only a two-month supply of RAM, a dramatically low level for a company of its size. This severely impacts production planning, forcing manufacturers into a frantic race to secure available stock, even at exorbitant prices – a situation unprecedented in the market.

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AI Drives Up RAM Demand

The primary driver of this crisis is the surge in demand for servers powered by artificial intelligence. These machines utilize LPDDR5X, a low-power memory specifically designed for AI applications, rather than standard DDR5. The core issue is that both LPDDR5X and traditional DDR4/DDR5 are manufactured on the same production lines.

The three major memory manufacturers – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron – have significantly shifted their production capacity towards LPDDR5X. This is a more profitable venture, with guaranteed demand and higher margins. Consequently, production of standard DDR4 and DDR5 has declined, creating a supply squeeze as demand for PC RAM, traditional servers, and consumer electronics remains stable, or even increases.

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The numbers speak for themselves. Between mid-September and mid-October 2025, the average price of DDR5 more than doubled. Over the year, DRAM kits have seen an average increase of 91%. This is a far more dramatic increase than seen in SSDs or SD cards, making RAM the most volatile component on the market.

This isn’t limited to desktop PCs. AI accelerators primarily rely on HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) or GDDR6/7, but standard servers consume massive amounts of LPDDR5X. This industrial demand is overwhelming the consumer market.

A Crisis Set to Continue

The outlook is bleak. No improvement is expected in 2025, or even 2026. Experts warn that shortages and high prices could persist until 2027. The current situation is impacting the entire tech supply chain, and is likely to be felt by consumers for some time.

Some manufacturers have already announced they will not release memory kits planned for the third and fourth quarters of 2025, opting to wait until 2026 to assess price developments.

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This wait-and-see strategy only exacerbates the situation. Fewer product launches mean less available supply, driving prices even higher. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, with manufacturers anticipating higher prices and delaying launches, thereby validating their forecasts.

For consumers, this is a disaster. Many kits that were once readily available are now impossible to find or have tripled in price. A 32 GB DDR5 kit (2×16 GB) that cost €120 at the beginning of the year can now reach €250-300 when in stock.

PC assembly companies are in an untenable position. Asus and MSI have order backlogs and products to deliver, but they can no longer guarantee their margins or delivery times. This is why they are turning to the spot market, despite the prohibitive costs.

What to Do If You Need RAM

If you need RAM, buy now. All signals indicate that prices will continue to rise for at least two years.

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Manufacturers are unlikely to increase production capacity for standard DDR5 while the AI market remains so lucrative. And there’s no indication of a slowdown on that front.

If you can postpone your upgrade, wait until 2027. But if your PC is struggling with 8 or 16 GB of RAM, don’t count on prices falling in 2026. It’s not going to happen. Previous component shortages – processors, graphics cards – have shown that markets take years to stabilize after shocks like this one.