Do you think RAM will get cheaper this year?
Posted by Outrageous-Taro5351@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 185 comments
Do you think RAM will get cheaper this year?
Posted by Outrageous-Taro5351@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 185 comments
Do you think RAM will get cheaper this year?
Theo-Wookshire@reddit
How often do prices decrease after they increase? I have zero confidence that anything goes down in price.
GoldfishDude@reddit
Consumer PC parts have had massive price swings up and down over the years. Storage has gotten significantly cheaper over the years as a general rule, and we've seen GPUs skyrocket in price when cryptocurrency mining was popular, and then fall back down significantly.
mati203920392@reddit
This year i don't think so but next year i think also not.
IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit
Could be never… will probably only ever go up data centers popping up everywhere eventually itl take so much room theyre thinking of building them in space
SpaceCowboyN7@reddit
PlayStation and Nintendo are increasing their console prices. It will not being going down anytime soon.
happntime@reddit
But what about the year after that??
RumbleTheCassette@reddit
Yeah I think it's very possible that it won't go down the year after that.
Logical_Look8541@reddit
2029 is the first time there will be meaningful extra supply as DDR6 is looking to be around then or 2030. LPDDR6 might start to appear at the end of this year, but its going to be in not massive amounts and going to have such a high price don't be shocked if it doesn't make it into any consumer hardware for a while.
So 2029 is really the main hope for DDR5 prices to drop as the main thing we need is a lot more supply, the whole AI issue just drove home how much of the current electronics world is reliant now on DRAM.
Riaayo@reddit
The consumer PC market will be dead by then, which is big tech's plan to begin with.
We're seeing the intentional death of consumers being able to own compute power because these megacorps want to own it all and charge you rent just to access it.
And boy oh boy how fun that will be when you don't own your compute and can only utilize theirs for whatever they approve of you doing (and can revoke access / ban you at any time).
Biduleman@reddit
Price for DDR4 surged when DDR5 became so hard to find.
And unless datacenters actually STOP growing and buying more RAM, then a new type of memory doesn't bring us much as it will require the same FAB as the DDR5.
Terrh@reddit
My entire midrange PC build in 2012 with 32GB of ram cost a little more than what just 32GB of ram costs today.
I can't believe there's even a market for it at the current pricing. Like who can afford this shit?
_gadgetFreak@reddit
This looks like Jim/Dwight conversation
gaddafiduck_@reddit
What about the year after that?
8bitRandy@reddit
Possibly…
happntime@reddit
:(
9okm@reddit
I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to too.
Junkhead187@reddit
Ddr5 may drop in price by the time ddr7 is out. /s
Significant-Task1453@reddit
Its not even that. Manufacturers have switched to mostly only producing server memory and nothing for consumers. It really doesn't matter what consumer memory we are talking about, there just isnt enough being made
Gex2-EnterTheGecko@reddit
No
phoneacct696969@reddit
Not until late 2027 at the earliest.
petersaints@reddit
Probably things will never get significantly cheaper again.
Significant-Task1453@reddit
They will, but who knows how long. The problem right now is that manufacturers dont want to build new facilities and OVER produce. If it became clear that demand will NEVER go away, they'd build more facilities eventually
MachoManRandomSalad@reddit
Nope.
There are no changes to manufacturing coming
No new companies on the horizon
and more plans for data centers and AI farms than ever.
Ciserus@reddit
Yes, but ask yourself why the suppliers are choosing not to expand production.
noahloveshiscats@reddit
Can we stop saying this. They are expanding production. Total memory output of the world is going to like double by 2031 and that’s not happening without the major players expanding production.
AutoPanda1096@reddit
Yeah, it's just real slow to get going.
renome@reddit
Yeah, but that makes sense: semiconductor fabs are not the kind of thing you can spin up overnight.
CaterpillarReady2709@reddit
No it's not. How long to think it takes to build, equip, and qualify a new semiconductor fab?
linuxguy192@reddit
A year + and that’s being conservative.
CaterpillarReady2709@reddit
Exactly. Two years would be a miracle.
linuxguy192@reddit
I guess I’m confused. The commenter said it’s slow to get going and you told them no.
CaterpillarReady2709@reddit
I interpreted their statement as to imply memory manufacturers are dragging their feet.
BlueBull007@reddit
I think they meant that increasing production capacity (meaning: building and starting up new production plants) is slow to get going
noahloveshiscats@reddit
Well Samsung is starting construction on a new fab in like a month and it’s supposed to be completed in 2029 so yeah it takes a while.
noahloveshiscats@reddit
All the memory manufacturers said was like ”We are not assuming AI demand is permanent and are not building anything only because of AI demand” and people treated that as if they aren’t building anything.
AutoPanda1096@reddit
It requires vast amounts of investment, planning commitment etc.
It's not a secret or weird conspiracy lol
These plants are incredibly expensive and difficult to build.
Who's to say this demand will continue. It's easy to see why they can't just spin up a plant on a whim.
Ciserus@reddit
Exactly. My point probably wasn't clear above, but suppliers aren't expanding because they don't think this level of demand will be sustained.
i.e. They think prices are going to fall before their investment would pay out.
And I believe in their trillion-dollar bet more than I believe in the doomerism in threads like this one.
CaterpillarReady2709@reddit
It's more of a should or should not vs a can or can't.
Maysock@reddit
CXMT has been ramping up production rapidly and introducing consumer level products.
aresthwg@reddit
They have no incentive to sell at normal prices either. The frenzy will stop once the suits decide it's time to move onto the next big thing.
Salmonman4@reddit
Liquid Helium is needed to make microships. Up until the beginning of this year around 33% of the world's supply of it came through a certain Strait. Shelf-life for it is around 35 to 48 days due to boil-off, so the stores are running empty. Have fun with this knowledge
SpaceCowboyN7@reddit
PlayStation and Nintendo are increasing their console prices. It will not being going down anytime soon.
ItyBityGreenieWeenie@reddit
Not large modules. Perhaps used slower DDR4 in smaller sizes will fall back down to non-panic levels. But if you need DDR5-6000 or DDR4-3200 in 16GB per DIMM or more, you are SOL for the foreseeable future (1-2 years). There is just not enough new supply to meet crazy demand.
I've been wrong before.
trev1976UK@reddit
Id be happy with some slow DDR4 but even that seems expensive compared to what it used to be.
Significant-Task1453@reddit
Manufacturers have switched to (almost) only producing datacenter memory and not consumer memory. DDR4 isnt going to get cheaper because (almost) nobody is producing it. Of course manufacturers are still producing a little, but not at the capacity they used to, and nobody seems to have plans to switch anytime soon
OtherAlan@reddit
There's no way DDR4 will drop in price. They will at the best case phase it out, and the prices will hover at the same and slowly drift upwards as there are barely any DDR5 options to pick from.
ItyBityGreenieWeenie@reddit
Some Chinese manufactures are trying to ramp up DDR4, probably mostly going to the embedded market. Some of it could come over to the PC DIMM side, but probably not this year.
I was referring to the used market for 4 and 8GB DDR4 DIMMS. New 32GB 3200 won't be going down. But 4GB 2133 might, their is a glut being horded that doesn't and probably won't sell. Eventually that bubble might pop as there isn't really that much demand compared to the server market for high capacity.
Equivalent-Load-9158@reddit
No. Maybe in 2028 or 2029.
RobertDeveloper@reddit
32 gb ddr5 is only 115 beers at a pub.
Mr_Citation@reddit
Not all unless the AI bubble bursts.
hammer-jon@reddit
of course if the AI bubble bursts spectacularly we won't be able to buy luxury items like computers anyway
seedoilgoyim@reddit
why not
Desperate-Air-7195@reddit
A few individuals get rich off of bubbles but we all get hurt when they bust.
That being said if youre in an insulated industry like the medical field, you'll be fine.
Icy_Aspect_6874@reddit
Ojalá.
ineedadvil@reddit
Inshallah
waffels@reddit
It’s been about to burst for over a year now
IAmJacksSemiColon@reddit
I'm hoping that it will gradually let off air until it makes a gentle landing.
5553331117@reddit
I hope the SpaceX IPO is the catalyst for this
IlTossico@reddit
Nope for the next 4/5 years at least.
Cipher_Witch@reddit
very little reason for it to, AI companies pm called dibs on most of this year's supply of chips
mesosuchus@reddit
if those companies collapse they will have to recoup loses.
Cipher_Witch@reddit
That’s a big if as of now
mesosuchus@reddit
its a big when.
dustincb2@reddit
I’ve been hearing that for a while now and while I want it to happen, I’ll believe it when I see it tbh.
mesosuchus@reddit
Because it's inevitable
dustincb2@reddit
I hope you’re right but I also think the genie is out of the bottle and there isn’t any going back.
Ommand@reddit
None of them are even close to profitable. The smart money is most of them fail.
One-Calligrapher-193@reddit
Perhaps towards the end of the year when the Chinese manufacturers flood the market.
ZOLLINO@reddit
China's CXSM producer is raising its production but any effect if ever will be reflected in the market in 2nd half of 2027 or at 2028.
Th3JackofH3arts@reddit
It will take "the bubble" popping for it to happen this year. If that does happen I think people will be out of work and not able to spend on pc hardware.
Aether_rite@reddit
gonna cost an arm and a leg for those trucks to ship the ram from the port to your local bestbuy (or online retail warehouse).
Mechanic357@reddit
Don't think we will see a change for a long time. It's crazy to me I built my first PC a couple years ago and it would cost me an extra $500 to build the same thing today.
WittiestOfNames@reddit
Probably more than that honestly
Yellowtoblerone@reddit
increasing by the day lmao
PigSlam@reddit
RAM prices are up nearly 500%, right?
I was looking into a hypothetical build the other day, and it involved moving the 64GB of DDR5 from my gaming right I built in January of 2025 to a new build, then buying 32GB to put back in my gaming rig. I paid around $200 for the 64GB kit, but it was going to cost me just under $500 for the 32GB kit to replace it. The same 64GB kit was over $900 now. Using those numbers, it's a 475% price increase.
Storage was also an issue. I built my system in 2025 with the idea that I'd run it on Linux, but have a windows 11 VM that I'd do GPU passthru with for CAD stuff. I don't have that job any more, and no need for Windows, so there's need for any of that now, which means the second 2TB Samsung 990 EVO that cost $194 when I bought it but sells for $389 today could move over for the new build as well.
Surprisingly, the prices for my CPU, GPU, fans, GPU cooler, and case are down from when I built, so there were some savings to be had, but certainly not enough to offset the huge RAM increase.
Instead of building a new rig, I just put the the GPU in my gaming rig:
=== CPU ===
=== Motherboard ===
=== RAM ===
=== GPU ===
=== Storage ===
Running a workstation GPU in a Fractal Design Ridge is fun though.
Mechanic357@reddit
That was increase last time I priced it a couple months ago. Just pissed cause I was hoping in a couple years to upgrade to a I9 14900kf, but I'll be sticking with the I7 12700kf I got.
MyApologies_@reddit
The RAM in my current PC costs as much as the rest of the entire PC. I literally watched the it increase by over €100 in the month between ordering it and it arriving.
misterriz@reddit
Last PC I built was a few years ago and I spent as much on the graphics card as the entire previous PC.
Active_Literature539@reddit
Nope. Sadly.
Billyxmac@reddit
I think we’re in this for at least another year. There’s no chance it’ll just exponentially climb QoQ, but by the end of 2026 I think it’ll be even worse. My guess is Q3 or Q4 of 2027 will show some return to normalcy.
MasterpieceOnly8785@reddit
Does anything really go down in price on an annual basis?
nutella4eva@reddit
If by cheaper you mean more expensive, then yes.
yick04@reddit
No
phodg50@reddit
Not for at least 2 years IMO. I think the end goal is for nobody to have their own PCs anymore. We’ll just have dumb terminals that use someone else’s cloud computers and pay a monthly fee for access. That’s what the big companies want. No money in you having your own hardware.
wustinaright@reddit
If they sold something for $30 and now sell it for $200 (and people still buy it) there is no way they they will sell it for less again. Not how corporations work unfortunately
Alph1@reddit
2030 at the earliest. It will take more factories to come on-line. Even then, AI may continue its endless demand.
nickoaverdnac@reddit
Prices are sticky. Unlikely to go back to where they were but it will correct very slightly.
KKLC547@reddit
Micron stock is up 900% this year, Samsung 465%, SK Hynix 1000%. Ain't no way the big three will prioritize gamer consumers again.
We all hope CXMT gets consumer RAM locked in and nothing else because they'll definitely chase the bag if they can produce the high tier products of the big three.
espewe@reddit
Yeah, practically we're dumped for good
51dux@reddit
New definition of RAM for corporations: Random Access Money.
espewe@reddit
I don't think there will be any cheaper PC components anymore, ever.
ExistingHospital7518@reddit
i hope to god it does
MisterHonkeySkateets@reddit
Everything is going to get more expensive, significantly, low to mid double digits.
Numerous_Analysis681@reddit
Nope
lordofabyss@reddit
Not this year or ever. Accept it infact they can get even more expensive
Professional_Tie5788@reddit
No
Chimaera1075@reddit
Nope.
Classic_Put_9946@reddit
After 2027
timfountain4444@reddit
No, Maybe by 2028/29, once the AI bubble has burst.
BluudLust@reddit
Not this year, but next, yes. DDR6 fabs are going to be online then and it should reduce the strain for us peasants who want DDR5
SkyWest1218@reddit
If AI buildouts stall (which, imo, there are signs that it may happen in the next year, but that's just my opinion), I think we'll see a lot of orders get cancelled and likely a bunch of RAM will either get dumped onto the market to recover costs, or at the least production will start to get reallocated. That said, most of that RAM is not usable in consumer systems, and there is already such a long backlog of buyers and companies trying to source memory that I would not be surprised if it takes 1-2 years for availability to recover, so prices will still probably be pretty high for a while.
NarwhalOk95@reddit
I had an extra 16gb stick of DDR5 cl38 and listed it on marketplace for $120 - I had an offer within an hour and dude came and picked it up within 4 hours of me listing it
rewardingsnark@reddit
No with tariffs and supply sold out for years will be more than 5+years
Rampaging_Ducks@reddit
What makes you think it would?
SoftShock0@reddit
Lets just say, hope you have enough in your current pc.
JuceRZ@reddit
Even if the market crashed overnight, you've got companies coming out and taking out various types of debt to buy RAM modules. They can't just sell at a massive loss, so they'd either go out of business or RAM would still remain high priced for awhile.
TillSpecialist8149@reddit
possibly not...
Ok_Perspective_7978@reddit
No. RAM won't come down until one of 2 things happen:
Neither of these are likely to happen any time soon. One can hope though.
ByteEater@reddit
Press X for doubt.
^(User input:)
X
PHIGBILL@reddit
Let me just get out my magical crystal ball.........
samudec@reddit
It will not go down unless ai companies die
Bit of they do we get the biggest economic crash possibly ever
And if it does everything will be crazy more expensive for a while
AsPlagueFlowers@reddit
Prices will never decrease.
noodle-face@reddit
No. I'm in the hardware industry and we can't even get RAM for anything close to normal
Worried-Scarcity-410@reddit
It won’t. AI is real. Not a bubble.
Raz0r25@reddit
Nope, $210 for 16gb ddr5 sodimm and climbing, not good
Dazzling-Stop1616@reddit
No
Alligator_@reddit
Probs never sadly.
Showerbeerz413@reddit
lot of doom and gloom in these comments but it will come doen eventually. unlikely to be this year or next year though. the demand will require more fabs to spin up and they will and eventually the data center Ai boom will reel in some and production will be ramped up, then supply will out pace demand. itll be awhioe for all that to happen but it will
No-Helicopter-4342@reddit
Timeline is like this:
2035: RAM gets cheaper
2035 February: you can't actally own a PC because nobody uses them. Everyone is subscribed to a 'virtual pc'.
AceLamina@reddit
Maybe 1-2
It technically already has gotten "cheaper" but it's not cheap
_ZergelGaming_@reddit
I’m gonna say probably not. But I also don’t see them increasing in price in price. The panic buying is over but the demand is still high. So we may see a small dip or at least maintaining the current prices for the next few years.
ZZzfunspriestzzz@reddit
Fuck billionaires and AI
mrbig1999@reddit
it will start leveling out early next year. However, I think it will be years until NAND (SSD) gets reasonable. It will be at least 2030 where we get back to the prices we saw at the beginning of thee year, if ever.
ozziesironmanoffroad@reddit
Hopefully. Hell. Id be ok with solid state drives dropping. It’s put my side gig of finding busted PS3s, fixing em up and flipping em on hold.. you’d be surprised at how many of the big fat ones are out there with dead power supplies or need a delid and repaste
Significant_Apple904@reddit
CXMT has been making RAM dies, they are being used in major RAM companies. CXMT is also planning to triple their current production.
Cheaper this year? Maybe a little bit towards the end of the year, more likely noticeable price drop next year and the year after.
Powerful-Ad2869@reddit
I looked at the comments and it reminded me of something
This is exactly what people said during the crypto mining peak era where GPU prices were ridiculous, but 2 years later(more like 1 year and 8 months later), they went back to pretty much normal.
Not to mentioned RAM prices in a lot of countries dropped by like 20% already and investors pulling out of this AI bullshit.
Nobody really knows when it will drop back down but its safe to say “Soon”
gmoneygangster3@reddit
My thoughts exactly
The harder people doom the more i think this is temporary
Hasone4245@reddit
In January I decided that prices were not getting cheaper so I said screw it I'm buying a computer. Glad I did then cause the prices are even higher now.
fapimpe@reddit
Should be a year or two from the last I heard a few weeks ago.
curtydc@reddit
Why would prices ever drop? I'm afraid this is the new normal. Manufactures haven't had any trouble selling hardware at these higher prices, what incentive is there to lower the prices?
Searching4Buddha@reddit
It seems inevitable that at some point the data center building craze will level out and increased RAM production will lead to a glut of cheap RAM on the market, but it's difficult to say when that will happen. My guess is we're probably still 2 years or more from that point, but who knows.
MisLuck@reddit
Yesn’t
mesosuchus@reddit
depends on when we topple the tech bros and their whole AI bubble implodes around them. Do your part, stop data centers any way you can.
Outrageous_Menu_9895@reddit
With these AI* bs goin on, absolutely yes!
bcroft686@reddit
No but we’re all getting paid 5x our normal salaries anyway so who cares right?
/s
DannyBlazeTM@reddit
Cheaper? Nah. It'll probably slowly increase over time, now that the panic has "run its course" and we're in a new paradigm. The market has shifted and begun to adapt. It's not gonna go back.
Chinese RAM entering the market might help slightly, but there's no way prices go back down to where they were before.
Note that the war with Iran has disrupted helium production and export as well. Helium is used for semiconductor manufacturing. Honestly, I expect the prices of all semiconductors to begin rising slowly over the year.
FastHotEmu@reddit
I think around the end of the year we'll see the bubble pop and RAM will come down - but also a good chunk of the American economy will unravel...
Zaga932@reddit
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
no
True_Efficiency7329@reddit
I am a personal believer that there are too many monied interests that would like for ram to keep staying sky high that it will not come down even if it can.
Not to be a prediction peter, but my personally assumption is I think companies like microsoft, dell, HP, and maybe some others will probably cut a contract with RAM companies to keep RAM high, but to sell to them at a premium low price so they can be the only company you can realistically buy computers from. Or even worse, rent.
True_Efficiency7329@reddit
in other words, buy ASAP in my opinion. a few months ago I purchased some DDR5 RAM for my computer. I don't need to use it right now, but in the future I will, and I don't think prices will come down, only go up
Skarth@reddit
Nope. Prices are expected to keep going up.
RemoDev@reddit
100% no, it's expected to MAYBE get a little better from 2028.
xAsianZombie@reddit
No, unless we wage the butlerian jihad
SpurdoMonster@reddit
Unless chinese manufacturing floods the market prices wont go down nit AI companies can also gobble it up./
SewnkinZ@reddit
I think China with aliexpress ram will save the day before rest of the world starts crying about low sale and danger of it.
8000RPM@reddit
Nope
montesitesi@reddit
In my country prices are dropping, but i think it'll be a while until its reasonably priced again
DragonGodPadron@reddit
No.
And historically companies rarely go down to previous levels once they realize they can charge higher and still remain in business. We might see slight drops but high RAM is here to stay.
TaterTotsAndFanta@reddit
Unless China miraculously pulls through with their own ram we are toasted friend.
pythonic_dude@reddit
Wdym pulls through, you can already buy corsair ram that uses CXMT chips. But it doesn't make a difference, they don't make enough to make a difference.
5553331117@reddit
Not yet atleast
Nuno1173@reddit
Non
Menorah_Fedora@reddit
All the chatter I've heard about the AI bubble bursting is talking about late 2026 or early 2027. The bubble bursting will also be a market disruption and there isn't a guarantee that prices will just drop - things could get worse before they get better
ImAntonSinitsyn@reddit
I have already found and purchased a 128GB DDR4 DIMM for 300 dollars. It seems that sometimes memory becomes available at a lower price than it was a few months ago.
Everlovin@reddit
I hope not, I’m using my 32gb ddr5 as a retirement plan.
iceseayoupee@reddit
You could ask next year and still get the same answer, thats how bad the market is
Significant-Deer7464@reddit
They like any reason that puts any extra in their pockets. Good graphics cards are still really expensive and don't get much of a discount. They keep building all these huge data farms and this AI craze. Plenty of big money being spent on a high level. They don't care if we build a home rig or not. I just don't see RAM getting any cheaper
Nervous_Split_3176@reddit
it already has
AFthrowaway3000@reddit
One can only dream. But no.
lolwatokay@reddit
No. The vast majority of memory orders are going to companies. They are not increasing consumer supply in a way that will meaningfully shift pricing.
Quaaaaaaaaaa@reddit
If China starts make RAM, it could be possible.
Control-Cultural@reddit
Lel
RomanBlbec@reddit
I mean when I look at the Steam Deck ... I don't think so.
allahakbau@reddit
dram isn’t that difficult to make, China will flood once they figure shit out.
Previous-Border-8283@reddit
Yes
Phuzion73@reddit
We’ll see if this administration gets thrown out and these damaging trade policies and tariffs get rolled back, maybe…
Offline86@reddit
No, maybe in 2028 but I doubt it.
SyFyFan93@reddit
No. Lots of orders for RAM have been bought out by the various big data centers / AI companies going out to 2028. Unless the AI bubble pops before that, I don't think we'll see RAM drop until 2030 or later. And that's if China doesn't invade Taiwan at some point, kicking off a conflict with the US and driving prices up even more.
The one hope we have I think is there's some Chinese manufacturers that are starting to get production on RAM rolling which might bring the price down if they break into the market.
Naerven@reddit
No
vlhube71@reddit
Nope, at least nothing that will move the needle. Sure, maybe we’ll see $20 to $50 “discounts” here and there but if you mean pre-August 2025 pricing, that ship has sailed.
sansmorixz@reddit
Stuff was happening back in April too, just not as massively as what started from October.
675940@reddit
2028 I reckon
Adorable_Finding1680@reddit
No lol
AlfaPro1337@reddit
2028 or 2030, no longer need to ask.
swsko@reddit
Most of the replies here are just guesses but do remember that the same thing was said about GPUs at lunch and then CPUs, look at the prices now, ram prices have plateaud and even some kits are getting cheaper. I bet we will see them cheaper but I’m not sure we will go back to 12-150 for ddr5 kits yet
IAmJacksSemiColon@reddit
Yes, in the sense that if you can't buy any you will have spent $0 on RAM.
Outrageous-Taro5351@reddit (OP)
Funny and sad
WaffleHouseGladiator@reddit
If you gamble on the price coming down and lose you'll also lose the opportunity cost of not having been using RAM. Best to just bite the bullet IMO.
Jumpy-Friendship-149@reddit
how about ssd?
Heidrun_666@reddit
No yes.
bgravato@reddit
no.
F1T_13@reddit
Not significantly if it does. This is the new normal now unfortunately.
AJ1666@reddit
No chance this year.
muckypup82@reddit
This year? No. Next year? No. Five years from now? Nope.
Celcius_87@reddit
Sadly, no