Overview
- DDR5 prices have surged, with kits that recently sold for about $240 now closer to $498 and reports citing spikes up to 200%, prompting PC builders to raise system prices.
- PC makers including Dell and Lenovo are preparing to ship more laptops with 8 GB as the default, and analysts expect some entry and mid‑range phones in 2026 to fall back to 4 GB to hold down costs.
- Major suppliers are prioritizing HBM for AI workloads, and Micron’s CEO says supply constraints are likely to extend beyond 2026 as new fab capacity takes years to come online.
- ASUS formally denied a late‑December rumor that it would start making DRAM, signaling no near‑term relief from a new entrant.
- Retailers and smaller vendors are tightening access to modules—some distributors require RAM‑plus‑motherboard bundles and Framework has pulled certain DDR5 parts—while IDC projects average PC prices could rise about 8% in 2026 and Goldman Sachs sees DRAM up to 80% year over year.