Why RAM Prices Are Skyrocketing in 2026: AI Demand, Shortages, and No Relief in Sight
RAM prices doubled since Oct 2025, up 50-100% in 2026 due to AI data centers hoarding supply. DDR5 surges from OpenAI bulk buys, HBM shifts; DDR4
Why RAM Prices Are Skyrocketing in 2026: AI Demand, Shortages, and No Relief in Sight
RAM prices are exploding in 2026, doubling or tripling since late 2025, turning budget PC builds into luxuries. A 16GB DDR5 kit jumped from $50 to $120-150; 32GB DDR4 from $60 to $110. DDR5 contract prices rose 10-15% monthly, spot 15-25%, per TrendForce. Laptops add $40-50 manufacturing costs. Why? Insatiable AI demand devours supply, manufacturers pivot to high-margin HBM/server DRAM, leaving consumers starved. OpenAI's massive wafer preorders, Samsung/SK Hynix production halts, and global shortages ripple through. AI Supercycle: Data Centers Eating Global Supply AI's explosion—ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini—powers massive clusters needing terabytes RAM. Hyperscalers (AWS, Google, Azure) finalize 2026-27 specs, pulling 40% DRAM. Nvidia/AMD GPUs demand DDR5/HBM; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman preordered "substantial" 2026 wafers (unfinished chips), speculated to stifle rivals. Cloud providers hoard, shrinking consumer pool. TrendForce: Server DRAM demand +20% YoY 2026, bit growth 24%. …