The AI boom has led to an unprecedented period for the PC hardware market, with prices for memory and storage soaring for both manufacturers and consumers. AI datacenters have effectively absorbed RAM kits, with companies like Micron turning their attention away from consumers to a full focus on AI.
However, the tide is slowly but surely beginning to turn in favor of consumers, as prices for RAM kits are starting to fall across some retailers in Europe, the US, and China.
Tom's Hardware highlighted that this sudden shift in market trend is simply because consumers aren't buying unaffordable RAM kits, alongside Google's TurboQuant compression method, which helps to reduce DRAM requirements on AI memory usage. Ultimately, the latter means AI companies won't need to hog memory as much as they have been.
Multiple listings on retailers' sites over the last few months showcased prices for 32GB and 64GB RAM kits that were more expensive than an entire PC build or a games console. It's not a surprise, then, to see prices eventually fall, which is a strong indication that retailers want to clear stock.
Now, you might think about investing in RAM kits as soon as possible, since prices are evidently dropping. Unfortunately, it's not exactly the right time to start making moves to upgrade your PC's memory — and it might be a long wait before any of us can do so at affordable prices.
Don't buy RAM just yet
Before the memory crisis hit, prices for RAM kits were so low and affordable that not many would give those planned upgrade paths a second thought. Whether it was 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB, consumers never needed to pay rent money to acquire them.
To highlight, the Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 32GB RAM kit I purchased in late 2024 was £54.99 on Amazon. In today's market, that same kit can be found on Corsair's online store, and costs £273.99 / $280.99 / (around AU$405). That's more than quadruple the original price.
To make my point clear: don't buy RAM just yet, as prices are still far too high above what they should be. If consumers start buying at the instant prices slowly start to drop, it will give retailers the wrong message, ultimately creating a new standard of memory prices going forward.
It's going to take a little while for the market to return to a position of normality, where memory prices for DDR4 kits aren't ridiculously high, and where DDR5 kits don't require consumers to break the bank for what should be a minor PC hardware upgrade.
If we can hold out for longer, while hoping that the AI bubble gradually bursts — which we're already seeing positive signs of with OpenAI's Sora closure — then it's only a matter of time before reasonable and sensible pricing is restored. Until then, patience is key.
