Historically, the best RAM was not necessarily the most expensive; however, in the present market landscape, the two are now synonymous thanks to the global memory shortage. Retailers aren't the only ones capitalizing on the current situation through price gouging; Scalpers are also taking advantage of the situation on platforms like eBay, selling memory kits for up to twice the retail price.
Due to the AI boom, numerous corporations are building enormous data centers, driving up demand for server memory. Consequently, the three major companies—Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron—have reallocated their production capacity toward server memory, thereby de-prioritizing consumer memory. Micron has even announced plans to shutter its consumer RAM outfit, Crucial, to focus solely on industry clients. This shift adversely affects all memory-related products, including individual memory kits, prebuilt systems, and handheld gaming consoles.
Memory Pricing Evolution
Memory Kit | Pricing Pre-shortage | Current Pricing | Scalper Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
Vengeance DDR5-5200 C38 192GB (4x48GB) | $649.99 | $2,201.99 | $1,949.95 |
Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6400 C32 96GB | $339.99 | $1,169.00 | $1,802.19 |
Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 C30 32GB | $117.99 | $429.99 | $836.54 |
Price gouging is evident across all capacities, rendering already costly memory kits significantly more expensive. The Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6400 C32 96GB (2x48GB), which initially retailed at $339.99 before the memory shortage, now commands $1,169 when available at a retailer—approximately 3.5 times its original price. Furthermore, the price of this memory kit elsewhere has escalated to $1,802.19, representing an additional markup of 1.5 times the retailer's price.
For instance, the Vengeance DDR5-5200 C38 192GB (4x48GB) represented a significant financial commitment even at MSRP, priced at $649.99. Currently, this memory kit is largely inaccessible to most consumers, with a retail price of $2,201.99, representing a nearly 3.4-fold increase. Due to the original cost, not many scalpers jumped on this model, so there are only a few listings on eBay, with the highest priced at around $1,949.95, making the marketplace a cheaper alternative.
Of course, whether people will pay that much for RAM remains another matter; however, listings that have sold on eBay present an equally grim picture. In recent days, 128GB of DDR5 5600Mhz laptop memory sold for $900. One stick of ADATA 16GB DDR5 sold for $190, while on December 8, one ferocious bidder appears to have paid $2,335 for 256GB of G.Skill DDR5. On December 5, someone bought 96GB of G.Skill DDR5 for $1,347.
The surge in memory prices affects both large and small enterprises. Custom PC manufacturers, including CyberPowerPC and Maingear, have already increased the prices of their prebuilt systems. A similar trend is observed among OEMs, such as Dell; however, Lenovo appears to be maintaining its pricing for the present, as it is rumored to have accumulated sufficient inventory to last through 2026. Even budget-friendly Raspberry Pi has raised the prices of its single-board computers (SBCs) due to the current market conditions.
Needless to say, it is not an opportune moment to upgrade your system's memory or build a new system, given the exorbitant prices currently associated with memory. While favorable memory deals occasionally become available, they are scarce and tend to sell out rapidly. If an urgent need to purchase memory arises, it is advisable to buy directly from reputable retailers rather than supporting scalpers. It might be worth considering waiting until the AI bubble bursts, so that prices can return to their normal levels; however, there is no clear indication of when (or if) this will occur.
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