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Average selling prices per gigabit increased abruptly in late 2025
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- High-capacity DDR5 DRAM prices surged sharply from late 2025 to early 2026
- TrendForce forecasts predict continued price growth despite apparent stabilization in retail
- Server-focused modules have absorbed most wafer output, tightening PC supply
A recent pricing trend from PCPartPicker suggests memory prices may be settling after months of volatility, particularly for higher-capacity kits.
That apparent calm contrasts sharply with seperate TrendForce forecasts which indicate contract prices for PC DRAM could rise substantially in early 2026.
These conflicting signals reflect a market in which short-term retail averages and longer-term supply agreements are moving along different trajectories.
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Good news! RAM prices seem to have finally stabilized - bad news, it's probably because memory prices are so high, that it's forcing most of us to give up buying anything
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2026 could well be the year of the $500 32GB DDR5 memory module — experts predict DDR will go up by 60% in Q1 2026 alone
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The bad news continues - server prices set to rise in latest blow to hardware budgets
Supply adjustments reshape availability
The gap between observed prices and forward-looking contracts has widened, creating uncertainty rather than reassurance for buyers tracking DDR5 DRAM costs.
Memory suppliers have made clear adjustments to how it allocates production capacity across product categories.
Server-focused modules have increasingly absorbed available wafer output, leaving laptops and related products exposed to tighter supply conditions.
Suppliers have paired this shift with selective allocation practices that favor large original equipment manufacturers while reducing volumes available to independent module makers.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.This supply discipline has created room for upward contract revisions as suppliers narrow historical price gaps between PC and server memory.
TrendForce data tracking average selling prices per gigabit shows limited movement throughout most of 2025.
From the first quarter through the third quarter of the year, both PC and server memory lines remain largely flat, indicating controlled supply and steady demand.
You may like-
Good news! RAM prices seem to have finally stabilized - bad news, it's probably because memory prices are so high, that it's forcing most of us to give up buying anything
-
2026 could well be the year of the $500 32GB DDR5 memory module — experts predict DDR will go up by 60% in Q1 2026 alone
-
The bad news continues - server prices set to rise in latest blow to hardware budgets
That pattern changes abruptly during the final quarter of the year, when prices for both segments begin rising almost simultaneously.
Server-class DDR5 RDIMM prices increase more sharply, while PC-focused SODIMM prices follow a gentler upward slope, confirming that the shift was market-wide rather than isolated.
The largest movement appears between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, when contract prices rise rapidly.
TrendForce projections show continued increases through the remainder of 2026, although at a slower pace after the initial jump.
Importantly, the forecast does not show any reversal or correction once prices reach higher levels.
Instead, both PC and server DRAM appear to settle into a sustained higher range, with server memory maintaining a consistent premium per gigabit.
Demand from large-scale AI deployments sits at the center of this volatile pricing situation.
Data center operators continue to expand memory-dense systems to support training and inference workloads, increasing consumption of high-capacity DDR5 modules.
This sustained pull from AI infrastructure has reinforced supplier preference for server and data center memory, indirectly tightening availability for PC-focused products.
Many observers have described the recent slowdown in price increases as stabilization, although the underlying data does not indicate improved affordability.
Prices appear to level off only after reaching levels that limit purchasing activity.
This pattern suggests that stability may reflect resistance from buyers rather than healthier supply conditions.
If demand remains constrained while suppliers maintain current allocation strategies, elevated pricing could persist longer than many market participants expect.
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Efosa UdinmwenFreelance JournalistEfosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.
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Good news! RAM prices seem to have finally stabilized - bad news, it's probably because memory prices are so high, that it's forcing most of us to give up buying anything
2026 could well be the year of the $500 32GB DDR5 memory module — experts predict DDR will go up by 60% in Q1 2026 alone
The bad news continues - server prices set to rise in latest blow to hardware budgets
Is RAM the new Bitcoin? DDR4 memory prices are rising so fast, some tracker graphs are running out of space - and I fear 2026 could well see a 10x price rise
Fresh RAM woes as new rumor claims Samsung has doubled the cost of DDR5
Why is RAM so expensive right now? It's way more complicated than you think
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