DDR5 Prices to Soar as AI Giants Scoop Up Supplies

Experts recommend that anyone planning a RAM upgrade should do it now. Insiders warn that DDR5 module prices are likely to climb over the coming months — and the rise isn’t explained solely by the rapid expansion of the AI sector.

In the latest episode of the Broken Silicon podcast, the host of Moore’s Law is Dead revealed that the biggest players in the AI market are buying up nearly all available silicon wafers. Demand is so strong that they’re receiving only about 70% of what they order, even at already-elevated prices. One cited example is OpenAI’s Stargate project, which sources claim consumes up to 40% of global DDR5 production. The company is also hoarding supplies, making it increasingly difficult for other manufacturers to procure memory.

The situation is worsened by foundries shifting production toward data-center-focused memory types like HBM, which consume more silicon and have higher defect rates than DDR5. That trend further tightens supply.

Another contributing factor: operators of conventional data centers, after a long pandemic-related pause, have resumed upgrading their hardware. Together these forces are creating shortages and driving prices upward.

Ultimately, gamers and PC enthusiasts are likely to suffer the most: not only RAM but motherboards are already becoming more expensive. According to the insider, upgrading a PC “will become noticeably costlier in the near future.”

Source: iXBT.games