RAM Prices Spiked Up to 500% in a Single Year

Building a PC just got absurdly expensive because AI datacenters are swallowing the world's memory supply.

According to price data tracked by Tom's Hardware, consumer DDR5 memory prices surged up to 500% over the past year. A 64GB DDR5 kit that cost under $200 last summer now demands over $1,100. The spike is spilling into older DDR4 memory and SSDs as chipmakers pivot factories toward specialized High Bandwidth Memory for AI hardware.

Why it matters: Tech giants have reportedly locked up nearly all global DRAM production capacity through 2027. Standard DRAM chips are now worth over half their weight in solid gold, leaving consumer PC makers fighting over scraps. SK Hynix expects severe shortages to persist into 2030, while ADATA warns the crunch could last a decade.

Here's the gist: if your current computer works, hold onto it. Upgrading your system today means paying an eye-watering AI tax.

Unless the AI buildout slows down, your next RAM kit might cost more than your graphics card.