RAMpocalypse Now – DDR5 Prices Soar to 4.4x 2025 Levels, Even DDR3 Becomes Expensive

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The PC component market is facing a severe and worsening memory crisis. According to the latest data from 3DCenter’s memory price index tracking the German retail market, the cost of DDR5 memory has skyrocketed to an average of 4.4 times its July 2025 price—a staggering 340% increase. In a startling twist, the price inflation has now engulfed even older memory standards, with DDR3 and DDR4 also seeing massive price hikes, leaving budget builders with nowhere to hide.

RAMpocalypse Now - DDR5 Prices Soar to 4.4x 2025 Levels, Even DDR3 Becomes Expensive
RAMpocalypse Now – DDR5 Prices Soar to 4.4x 2025 Levels, Even DDR3 Becomes Expensive

This unprecedented surge, driven by industry-wide shortages and booming demand from the AI sector, is dramatically increasing the cost of building or upgrading any computer.

The DDR5 Disaster: Paying a 340% Premium

The data, compiled from German price comparison site Geizhals, shows the situation for modern DDR5 is most dire. What was once a routine purchase is now a major investment. A standard 32GB kit of DDR5-5600 that cost around €140 in July 2025 now commands over €677. Even more common kits have been hit hard: a 2x16GB DDR5-6000 kit has soared from €75 to €395, a 427% increase.

While the blistering monthly pace of increase has slowed slightly, prices are still climbing fast, rising another 27.6% from December 2025 to January 2026. These figures confirm that the memory shortages affecting graphics card production are having a catastrophic effect on the broader DIY PC market.

No Safe Harbor: Older DDR4 and DDR3 Prices Also Surge

In a clear sign of widespread scarcity, the price explosion is not limited to the latest standard. The market for older DDR4 and DDR3 memory is also overheating. The report shows an average price increase of 219% (3.2x) for these older generations since July 2025.

RAM Prices

Crucially, the rate of increase for this older memory is now accelerating even faster than for DDR5, jumping 46.3% in just the last month. Specific examples include:

  • DDR3: An 8GB DDR3-1600 module rose from €12 to €21 (+75%).
  • DDR4: A 16GB DDR4-2400 kit skyrocketed from €25 to €87 (+248%).

This eliminates the traditional budget fallback of using previous-generation memory, directly contributing to the reported surge in sales of DDR3 motherboards as builders scramble for any affordable path.

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Causes and Consequences: A Perfect Storm for PC Builders

This “RAMpocalypse” is the result of a perfect storm: soaring demand from AI companies consuming vast quantities of high-end memory, constrained global manufacturing capacity, and a trickle-down effect that consumes the supply of even legacy memory chips.

For consumers, the impact is severe and straightforward:

  1. Sky-High System Costs: The total cost of a new PC build has ballooned, with memory now a primary cost driver rather than a minor line item.
  2. Killed Upgrades: Plans to add more RAM to an existing system have become prohibitively expensive.
  3. Market Distortion: The economic logic of PC building is breaking down, as seen with older platforms becoming unexpectedly costly.

With industry leaders like Micron warning that significant supply relief may not come until 2028, this memory price crisis is not a short-term blip but a defining feature of the PC hardware landscape for the foreseeable future.

Source: 3dcenter

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