Computer memory prices have climbed significantly over the past six months, and market analysts expect the trend to continue. If you're planning a PC build or laptop purchase, here's what's happening and why.
The Numbers: What's Changed
Memory prices have jumped across the board:
- 32GB DDR5 kits: $80-85 in July 2024 → $120-140 today (Newegg, Amazon pricing)
- Framework laptop memory: Up 50% in November with a public warning of more increases coming
- TrendForce forecast: Additional 30-40% increase expected through 2025
These aren't seasonal fluctuations. Three things are driving the change.
Why Memory Got Expensive: The HBM Shift
Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron make about 95% of the world's memory. Right now, all three are moving production capacity away from consumer RAM to something called High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).
What's HBM? It's specialized memory for AI chips. Your PC uses DDR5 running at 5600-6000 MT/s. AI processors like Nvidia's H100 use HBM3, which moves data at speeds measured in terabytes per second through a stacked chip design.
The economics: According to TrendForce's industry reports, an HBM chip sells for roughly $1,000. A consumer DDR5 stick wholesales for $30-40.
When you're a memory manufacturer, that math is hard to ignore.
Company Moves
All three major producers have made this shift public:
- SK Hynix said in their Q3 2024 earnings call that HBM will be over 30% of their revenue by 2025 (up from near-zero in 2022)
- Samsung announced a multi-billion dollar HBM facility investment in August 2024
- Micron has scaled back their Crucial consumer brand while expanding data center focus, per investor presentations
These aren't rumors—they're in official company statements.
The AI Infrastructure Boom
Here's where demand comes in. Companies building AI infrastructure need enormous amounts of HBM.
Example: Nvidia's H100 GPU (used for training large AI models) uses 80GB of HBM3 per chip according to Nvidia's specs. Data centers deploy these in clusters of thousands.
Projects like Stargate—a $500 billion AI initiative announced by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank in January 2025 (reported in The Wall Street Journal)—create concentrated demand that pulls production capacity away from consumer products.
What This Affects Beyond Desktop RAM
The supply squeeze hits multiple product categories:
Laptops: TrendForce projects some manufacturers may drop budget models back to 8GB to stay competitive on price. Problem: most laptops now use soldered RAM you can't upgrade later.
Graphics cards: GDDR6 and GDDR6X are made on similar production lines as consumer DRAM.
SSDs: NAND flash faces the same dynamic—enterprise customers pay more, get priority.
Everything else: Phones, tablets, smart TVs. If it has memory chips, it costs more to make.
Two Other Factors
Geopolitics: The U.S. restricts advanced chip tech exports to China, including HBM. China responded with restrictions on semiconductor materials. This creates supply uncertainty—Samsung and SK Hynix have major China operations but face pressure on tech transfers.
Industry memory: Memory prices crashed in 2022-2023 due to oversupply. Manufacturers got burned. In recent earnings calls, all three major producers have emphasized "supply discipline"—keeping production tight to avoid repeating that mistake.
Timeline: When Does This End?
TrendForce forecasts prices rising through Q2 2025, with possible stabilization late 2025 or early 2026.
New capacity is coming—Micron's New York facility starts production in 2026—but the company has indicated much of that capacity is allocated to HBM and enterprise products.
The honest answer: nobody knows exactly when consumer memory becomes a priority again.
What You Should Do
If you're building soon: Waiting probably won't save money based on current market forecasts. If you find RAM at acceptable pricing, consider buying now rather than gambling on future drops.
Buying a laptop: Get enough RAM at purchase. You likely can't upgrade it later. Double-check specifications before buying—especially on budget models.
Consider used memory: RAM doesn't wear out like SSDs or hard drives. It either works or it doesn't. Used DDR5 from a seller with returns is a solid option. Same for GPUs and CPUs from reputable sources.
Skip used PSUs and storage drives: Power supplies have safety concerns, and you can't verify wear on used SSDs/HDDs.
The Bottom Line
The memory industry has shifted focus. Consumer PCs aren't the priority when AI customers pay 30x more per chip.
Does this mean PC building is dead? No. You can still build a capable 1080p gaming system for $700-900. But the era of $80 32GB kits is likely over for now.
The market has changed. If you've been planning an upgrade, current trends favor acting sooner rather than waiting for drops that may not come.
Sources: TrendForce market reports, SK Hynix Q3 2024 earnings call, Samsung press releases, Micron investor presentations, Nvidia technical specifications, retail pricing data from Newegg and Amazon, Framework blog announcements