- Rising RAM prices are set to affect nearly every market segment
- Supply limits tied to DRAM node shifts are driving product shortages
- GDDR6 and DDR4 are leading the current memory price increases
RAM prices are surging once more, but this time the finger of blame can’t be pointed solely at AI, new research has claimed.
The current financial quarter is reportedly bringing steep increases across the board, affecting everything from server memory to mobile DRAM and graphics cards.
New data from TrendForce, backed up by research from ComputerBase, says DDR4 has seen the largest jump, with prices up to 45% higher than in the previous quarter.
Ripple effect
The trend started earlier this year when manufacturers, including Micron, began phasing out DDR4 and LPDDR4. These were produced using older DRAM nodes that are now being retired.
Micron issued end-of-life notifications for these products, something that had a major impact on large-volume customers across consumer, client, mobile, and data center segments.
DDR4 and LPDDR4X shortages followed, creating a ripple effect across the memory market.
In some areas, DDR4 has temporarily become more expensive than DDR5. Prices for DDR4 in the PC segment are now projected to rise 38–43% in Q3, up from 13–18% in Q2. Server DDR4 follows closely with a 28–33% increase.
Graphics memory is also affected. GDDR6 is expected to rise 28–33%, making mid-range and entry-level GPU options more expensive.
GDDR7, still early in adoption, could see prices climb by 5–10%.
Mobile devices aren’t immune to the price rises either. LPDDR4X is forecast to jump 23–28%, and LPDDR5X may go up 5–10%.
For consumers and OEMs relying on these chips, the timing adds pressure ahead of seasonal product launches.
HBM, primarily used in high-performance computing and AI, is set to rise up to 20%. Although this segment is smaller, its pricing still matters for data centers and enterprise buyers.
Micron has stated it will support customers needing long-term supply of 1-alpha DRAM, but only for specific lower-volume sectors like automotive and industrial.
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