Overview
- Micro Center and Central Computers have removed fixed price tags for memory kits, telling shoppers to ask associates for current pricing, with Best Buy listings showing 32GB sets over $400 and 64GB kits approaching $900.
- RAM costs have surged dramatically in recent months, with some DDR5 kits doubling or tripling in price, including a 32GB set jumping from roughly $130 to around $440.
- Coverage ties the volatility to manufacturers prioritizing lucrative server and HBM orders for AI buildouts from firms such as OpenAI and major cloud providers, constraining consumer DRAM supply.
- Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney warns that elevated RAM costs could pressure high-end gaming for years as data centers outbid device makers for leading-edge DRAM capacity.
- Unconfirmed claims from a YouTube insider suggest Microsoft may raise Xbox Series X|S prices again due to RAM costs while Sony is said to have stockpiled GDDR6; Valve has cited the crunch in declining to set a firm Steam Machine price yet.