Overview
- Retail checks now show roughly a 50% jump in under a month, with 16 GB DDR5 typically at €150 or more, most dual‑channel kits well above €200, and many 32 GB kits exceeding €300.
- Rising memory costs are lifting full‑system budgets: a recommended entry gaming PC moved from €850 to €900 and is nearing €950, with a 32 GB DDR5 kit roughly €200 higher and SSD prices also trending up.
- Manufacturers are prioritizing high‑bandwidth memory for AI data centers, Micron plans to end Crucial consumer shipments after February 2026, and Reuters reporting indicates Samsung lifted memory prices by up to 60% versus September.
- Analysts see no near‑term relief, with forecasts from Counterpoint pointing to potential DRAM price increases of up to 50% by the second quarter of 2026.
- Structural pressures from the DDR4 phase‑out, Windows 10 end‑of‑support upgrades, and hyperscaler demand raise risks of pricier smartphones and NAND/SSD components, while industry reports cite steep motherboard sales declines and a possible AMD B650 policy reversal.