"If you've been following PC hardware news over the past few months, you'll know that RAM prices have climbed to absurd heights. According to PCPartPicker, the average price of a 2x 32GB DDR5-6000 kit reached nearly $800 in December 2025. For comparison, Sony's PS5 Pro currently sells for $749. And the situation may get worse, with more potential price surges later this year and RAM prices rising another 50% in Q1 2026 alone."
"Needless to say, this is bad news for consumers. In a post on its official blog, Acer points to several factors driving these increases. The rise of AI is at the top of the list, referred to by Acer as "the single biggest driver behind the shortage." There are also manufacturing challenges, growing hardware demands, and the ongoing decline in DDR4 RAM production."
"Soaring prices don't just affect PC enthusiasts, they're reshaping the entire PC market. Industry analysts at TrendForce state that notebook shipments are shifting toward lower-tier 8GB models in order to stabilize supply chains. This means laptops that once shipped with 16GB of memory may soon opt for less. That's bad news for anyone shopping for a new machine with high amounts of RAM this year."
RAM prices have surged significantly, with the average price of a 2x 32GB DDR5-6000 kit reaching nearly $800 in December 2025 while a PS5 Pro sells for $749. Prices may rise further, potentially increasing another 50% in Q1 2026. Major drivers include accelerating AI demand, manufacturing challenges, growing hardware requirements, and declining DDR4 production. Notebook shipments are shifting toward lower-tier 8GB models to stabilize supply chains, causing many laptops that once shipped with 16GB to opt for less. High RAM costs are expected to persist through the year. Consumers can pursue cost-saving options such as buying refurbished PCs.
Read at ZDNET
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