DDR5 prices are still shooting up, and nothing in the pipeline suggests a quick cooldown. Big fabs — Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron — have basically reserved DRAM and HBM capacity out to 2027, so the supply squeeze looks set to last a few more yrs. Since autumn 2025 a typical 32GB DDR5 kit jumped from roughly $100 to north of $400. Why? Largely because AI devs are snapping up server mem at scale, leaving less for the DIY/consumer side; vendors reportedly don’t have spare lanes to route extra shipments to retail, and new fab lines will probably prioritize those same AI contracts.
What to do: if you need DDR5 right now for work or a build that actually benefits, you’ll pay a premium — buy and move on. If your upgrade can wait, sitting tight makes sense; the market could still surprise us with occasional dips (demand softening, inventory finds, or policy shifts), but a sustained drop before 2027 seems unlikely.
Short-term tactics:
- Watch for seller-specific promos
- Consider used or open-box sticks
- Re-evaluate whether DDR4 suffices for your use case
Sources: pcgamesn