RAM - Page 2

Sitting down with Hardware Unboxed in a new long-form video interview, Sapphire's PR Manager, Edward Crisler, talked about a wide range of topics related to graphics cards. Sapphire, after all, is one of AMD's key AIB partners for Radeon GPUs, and one of the key components of a modern graphics card is VRAM. And amid the current memory and DRAM crisis, we've already heard that GPU prices for Radeon cards are set to increase further throughout 2026.

With several industry insiders and analysts predicting that the DRAM crisis will last until 2028 and that the situation for consumer-facing tech like PCs, laptops, smartphones, and other gear like GPUs is pretty dire, Sapphire's Edward Crisler has a different take. A more optimistic one than we've been hearing of late.

First, he acknowledges that there's a "lot of uncertainty taking place in the market" right now, and that current shortages are affecting DDR5 memory kit pricing and leading to panic buying for all PC gaming hardware - GPUs included. Edward Crisler adds that this "uncertainty" will "hurt gamers for six months." After that? Well, he believes that within the next six to eight months "the market will start to stabilize."

SK hynix is expecting DRAM supply issues (and high prices, and probably even higher price than now) through until 2028, lining up with other reports suggesting we'll be in pain for the next 2-3 years when it comes to RAM and SSDs.

In a new post on X by user @BullsLab who shared some screenshots of a purported internal analysis by SK hynix, the South Korean memory leader projects that growth for the commodity DRAM will be constrained until at least 2028... but not for HBM and SOCAMM memory modules.

This is because SK hynix has been busy shifting its focus to fulfill the demand of AI servers, where there are masses of profits to be had, and that the possibility of any decent growth in the production capacity for the consumer market remains low.

Dell will be increasing the price of its laptops and PC systems on December 17, because of the ongoing DRAM shortages.

In a new report from Business Insider, Dell reportedly told its staff in an internal message on December 9 that it will be hiking the price of its systems starting on December 17.

There is an internal list of the upcoming price changes sent to staff, with price hikes for Dell's commercial business -- sales to corporate clients, not individual customers -- but Dell's commercial business accounts for around 85% of its annual revenue in the Client Solutions Group (CSG), the division that sells Dell laptops and PCs, according to its latest annual results.

Framework has just announced it will be increasing its DDR5 RAM upgrade prices by 50% in a new blog post with its Framework Laptop DIY Edition RAM upgrades in the near future.

The company explained the price increases in a new blog post, saying that they've been forced to do this as there are "substantially higher costs we are facing from suppliers and distributors".

Framework says that the new pricing "remains below" what's available in the open market, and that they won't be changing the pricing on any existing orders, and they're not updating the pricing on their pre-built laptops or Framework Desktop which come with RAM, adding that it makes the 128GB RAM configuration of the Framework Desktop a "bargain".

Framework has added to the collective misery around RAM price increases as the firm just announced a major hike in the cost of DDR5 memory for its DIY notebook.

As VideoCardz noticed, the DDR5 memory supplied with the Framework Laptop DIY Edition is now 50% pricier, due to the "substantially higher costs we are facing from suppliers and distributors" the company notes, stressing that the new prices are still below the levels seen on the open market.

Those who've already pre-ordered won't have the cost of their machine changed, as you would hope, but any new orders going forward will be substantially more expensive if you want to pile on the system RAM.

In the unfolding reality that is our world, where 64GB of DDR5 memory costs more than a PS5 console, Asgard has just revealed two high-capacity 192GB and 256GB DDR5 memory kits.

The Chinese memory manufacturer unveiled its latest high-capacity DDR5 memory kits for mainstream users and gamers, with the 256GB DDR5-6000 (4 x 64GB sticks) memory kit coming in at $2000, but the company quickly updated the price in real-time to $2400... making the new 256GB of Asgard Valkyrie Thor DDR5-6000 memory cost more than a GeForce RTX 5090... if you can believe it.

Asgard's new 192GB and 256GB kits of memory come in 6000 MT/s speeds, and sold on Chinese retailer JD, with the 192GB DDR5-6000 (4 x 48GB sticks) costing 8599 yuan (around $1216 USD or so), while the 256GB kit costs $2400. Both of the new 192GB and 256GB DDR5-6000 memory kits from Asgard are using SK hynix M-die with 6000 MT/s memory speeds and CL28-36-36-72 timings for the Thor kit and CL32-45-45-90 for the Valkyrie.

Samsung is reportedly shifting its focus on DRAM production with reports that the company is scaling down its HBM modules for AI GPUs, to DDR5 modules because of the insanely high prices of DDR5 RAM right now.

In a new report from DigiTimes picked up by analyst @Jukan on X, we're hearing that Samsung's new internal strategy in response to intensified HBM market competition, is reallocating DRAM production capacity to DDR5 RDIMM memory modules, which will free up around 80,000 DRAM wafers per month, making significantly more profit.

Samsung has been struggling against HBM competitors SK hynix (mostly) and US-based Micron, which just closed its consumer RAM and SSD business -- Crucial -- down. Samsung's new HBM3E has passed NVIDIA's strict certifications, but the company has reportedly been cutting prices of its HBM in attempt to increase its HBM market share against SK hynix and Micron.

RAM prices aren't slowing down, with skyrocketing costs seeing things like a 256GB kit of DDR4 memory now retailing for over $3000... with RAM shortages here to stay until 2028, and high prices for DDR5 and DDR4 throughout 2026 and 2027.

If you thought there would be a magical fix for the DRAM shortages and price increases, you're out of luck... this is like a triple-storm all at once. DDR5 and DDR4 memory shortages will likely stay until at least Q4 2027 (two years from now), so don't expect cheap RAM prices until 2028 most likely.

Why is this happening? AI, we can all blame AI. AI is gobbling up all of the DRAM and NAND that it can get, where just a couple of days ago we had Micron dive out of the consumer SSD and RAM business with the closure of its Crucial brand, as the company goes all-in with AI. This leaves South Korean memory manufacturers SK hynix and Samsung to provide all of the DRAM and NAND for both AI and consumer products.

Setting aside the fact that it's looking increasingly likely that DDR5 memory modules are set to become as rare and pricey as gold bars as we head into 2026, XPG has just announced and launched its new ARMAX DDR5 Gaming Memory Series for PC gamers and tech enthusiasts.

Sporting a V-shaped, RGB-lit heatsink inspired by fighter jets (there's also a non-RGB version), the XPG ARMAX DDR5 Gaming Memory Series is also compatible with SFF (Small Form Factor) mini-PCs thanks to its 39.5mm heatsink height. Performance-wise, you're looking at DDR5 speeds of 6,000 to 6,400 MT/s, which XPG describes as the sweet spot for gamers and creators.

Hardware-wise, these memory modules are built with high-quality ICs, including a built-in PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) and On-Die ECC (Error-Correcting Code), and support both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO profiles for overclocking. With their stylish design, including a light bar on the top of each module and a fighter jet look, these memory kits are tailor-made for PC builds and cases with panoramic views.

Recently, we've been reporting on the ongoing memory and storage crisis, which has led to surging prices, limited stock, and word that pretty much all 2026 capacity is being allocated to the AI market and data centers. Earlier today, we got the surprising and concerning news that Micron was pulling the plug on its consumer-focused Crucial brand, which has been one of the biggest go-to names for PC memory and storage for years. Yes, the situation is getting pretty dire.

In addition to the Crucial bombshell, there's another alarming announcement today from memory and storage company Transcend, a well-known name and brand in the DRAM (DDR4/DDR5) and NAND Flash (SSDs, microSDs) space. According to a letter and notification it has sent to its customers (via @jukan05 on X), Transcend confirms that it has not "received any new chip shipments since October."

Transcend notes that its key NAND Flash suppliers, Sandisk and Samsung, have notified the company that its deliveries have been postponed "again," which means its Q4 allocation has been "significantly reduced."

According to TeamGroup's general manager, Gerry Chen, contract pricing for DRAM and NAND products has once again surged, doubling as we head into December. As a prominent brand and name in the memory, solid-state storage, and flash-based markets, TeamGroup isn't predicting a turnaround, as availability and pricing are reportedly set to worsen throughout the first half of 2026.

And the reason for this is that during this time, existing distribution and stockpiles will have been exhausted, making allocation and acquisition difficult across all corners of the tech industry - from AI to smartphones to PCs. An already bad situation is about to get worse. TeamGroup's Gerry Chen believes that pricing won't normalize until at least 2027 (via DigiTimes), with a timeline that could extend well into 2028.

And it won't even matter if you're willing to pay obscene, inflated prices, because supply will be limited and demand will increase. It's a grim prediction, especially when you factor in that even if the most prominent manufacturers like Micron, Samsung, or SK Hynix were to start building new memory fabs today, it would still take years to ramp up production.

RAM prices are so out of control that they're being stolen mid-delivery, with a Redditor in the UK having his 32GB of DDR5 memory kit stolen, but the courier delivered it 300 miles from his house... at 4:15AM.

The UK user had purchased a 32GB kit of DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM memory from Crucial on eBay, but the parcel was marked as "delivered" at 4:15AM, some 300 miles from his house, with a unique signature which looks absolutely nothing like a real signature, and more like a Pentagram.

It looks like this Redditor isn't the only one, as his post on Reddit attracted other people who reported similar things happening to them with their packages. Another issue is that in the UK, the seller is responsible for the package until it reaches the recipient, but people that have found themselves in this situation have said that they get pushed around to the retailer, courier, and then the police, with each side of the situation trying to hand off responsibility.

We all know about skyrocketing RAM prices, but it looks like the huge leap in RAM prices is leading to a major drop in motherboard sales, forcing motherboard manufacturers to "significantly revise" their sales targets downward in the near future.

In a new report from GazLog from Board Channels, motherboard makers like ASUS, MSI, and GIGABYTE are noticing a whopping 40-50% reduction in motherboard sales compared to the same period of 2024. Motherboard sales are normally higher at this time of the year due to all of the festive season discounts -- Black Friday, etc -- but thanks to skyrocketing DRAM prices, it's now reported that motherboard vendors are completely re-thinking their sales strategies for the near future.

Taiwanese motherboard makers like ASUS, MSI, and GIGABYTE have reportedly decided to lower their sales targets for both November and December 2025, which will make for a very interesting (and hopefully not too depressing) CES 2026 which kicks off in January.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has some words of reckoning in regards to skyrocketing RAM prices, where he says that they will be a "real problem" for the high-end gaming market for "several years" to come.

We have all seen the explosive uptick in RAM prices over the last few weeks and months, with the AI race being blamed as companies are gobbling up as much high-end GPU technology it can, and all of them come with copious amounts of RAM (GDDR7 and HBM3, HBM3E, and HBM4).

Sweeney posted on X, where he said: "RAM price increases will be a real problem for high-end gaming for several years. Factories are diverting leading edge DRAM capacity to meet AI needs where data centers are bidding far higher than consumer device makers".

The DDR5 overclocking world record changes almost on the daily, with a new DDR5 speed record hit using Corsair Vengeance DDR5 memory and the GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS Tachyon ICE motherboard, and overclocker "Sergmann" with an incredible 13,530 MT/s speed.

Overclocker "SaltyCroissant" had achieved a new DDR5 world record earlier that day using CENS DDR5 memory at 13,322 MT/s, hitting 6703.9MHz or 13,407 MT/s using a single Corsair Vengeance 24GB DDR5 module on the GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS Tachyon ICE motherboard.

However, later that day, Sergmann reached a new record of 6765.2MHz or 13,530 MT/s for a new DDR5 OC world record, using the same Corsair Vengeance DDR5 memory and the same GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS Tachyon ICE motherboard. The only difference between the two overclockers' achievements is that SaltyCroissant used an Intel Core Ultra 5 265K processor, while Sergmann used the higher-end Core Ultra 9 285K processor.

You can buy an entire PlayStation 5 console for less than what a 64GB kit of DDR5-6000 memory would cost you, and it's only going to get worse.

The RAM shortage is being blamed on the AI boom, which is consuming as much of the best DRAM memory chips it can, increasing the price of DDR5 memory and DDR5 memory kits for the PC. It's gotten to the point that a $205-$220 memory kit from a few months ago -- the G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB series 64GB DDR5-6000 memory kit -- now costs $599, and that's with some discount applied.

Looking at the tracking data of DDR5 RAM prices, you could get a 64GB DDR5 memory kit for just $140, but now 64GB kits are $500+ in the last couple of months. Sony has its PlayStation 5 Digital console priced at $399, and the Microsoft Xbox Series S also at $399, while the PS5 Slim Disc costs $449, and the more powerful PS5 Pro costs $649.

SK hynix is one of the largest DRAM manufacturers on the planet, and while it has invested tens of billions of dollars on its semiconductor prowess, the South Korean memory giant is set to increase DRAM production by a factor of 8x in the near future due to DRAM shortages and skyrocketing prices on every product with DRAM inside of it.

In a new report published by Korean media outlet Hankyung, SK hynix has plans to increase its DRAM production capacity by more than 8x by 2026, in order to meet the demand of CSPs and companies like NVIDIA and AMD, which both make graphics cards and AI GPUs, both using more and more of the most advanced DRAM on the planet with HBM4 onwards, and GDDR7 onwards.

This falls in line with rumors that we wrote about back in June 2024, that there was a coming DRAM memory shortage, as manufacturers were pushing all-in on HBM production for HBM memory. Then just this September 2025, NVIDIA reportedly asked Samsung to double its GDDR7 production, ready for its new B40 AI GPU for China.

LPDDR6 prices are set to be much higher than anticipated, with rumors swirling that Qualcomm and MediaTek will be the only ones with flagship chipsets in the future that feature the next-gen LPDDR6 memory standard.

In a new post by leaker Digital Chat Station on the Weibo forums, we'll only see "Pro-level" chipsets with next-gen LPDDR6 RAM in 2026, and that Chinese memory manufacturers are preparing for mass production of LPDDR6 memory next year, which should give Qualcomm and MediaTek some leverage when it comes to pricing for their next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 processors, respectively.

Digital Chat Station wrote: "industry forecasts suggest that memory price increases may ease in 2027, with the latest LPDDR6 standard expected to see significant price hikes next year, likely only appearing in Pro-level flagship processors like the Dimensity 9600 and Snapdragon 8E6".

It's been one of the most talked-about topics in recent weeks: an unprecedented shortage and supply of DRAM and flash memory for technology, driven by unrelenting demand from the data center, AI, and cloud sectors. With industry and financial analysts sounding the alarm, the price of 16 Gigabits of DDR5 has more than doubled in the past month, rising to $24.80 per unit on November 17.

And that's Gb, not GB, which would make it 2GB of DDR5 memory that's 130% more expensive now than it was a month ago. As detailed in a new report over at Hankyung, memory can account for anywhere between 20 to 50% of the cost of devices like smartphones or PCs, so a price increase of this magnitude will have a massive impact on the profitability of countless products.

The analysts at TrendForce predict that fixed or contract pricing for DRAM in the fourth quarter will increase by 75% year over year. Unfortunately, this means that the global smartphone, laptop, and PC markets will most likely shrink in 2026. TrendForce has lowered its growth rate prediction for PC production from +0.1% to -2.0% for 2026, while the smartphone market is expected to be hit even harder, with its growth rate dropping from +1.7% to -2.4%.

We've got a new DDR5 memory frequency world record courtesy of German extreme overclocker CENS, who set a new speed of DDR5-13322 (13,322 MT/s). CENS partnered with G.SKILL and ASUS for this achievement, with the new world record achieved using a 24Gb module of G.SKILL's popular Trident Z5 DDR5 memory, ASUS's flagship ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor. Plus, plenty of liquid nitrogen.

It feels like we're in the middle of OC season, as the DDR5 memory frequency record has been broken a few times over the past few weeks. A couple of weeks ago, we saw GIGABYTE's in-house overclocker HiCookie set a record of 13,034 MT/s, and last week, overclocker AiMax broke the 13,200 MT/s barrier with a speed of DDR5-13211.

This is a roundabout way of saying that we're not sure how long this new record by CENS will stand.