Why Is RAM So Expensive Right Now?
Live DDR5 and DDR4 price-per-gigabyte charts, updated daily from real retailer prices — the fastest way to see whether RAM is actually getting more expensive, and by how much.
Prices last updated September 16, 2026.
View as table
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| Sep 9 | $16.62/GB |
| Sep 8 | $16.87/GB |
| Sep 5 | $17.95/GB |
| Sep 4 | $17.95/GB |
| Sep 3 | $17.95/GB |
DDR5 is -7.4% in 90 days.
View as table
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| Sep 9 | $8.12/GB |
| Sep 8 | $9.69/GB |
| Sep 5 | $9.85/GB |
| Sep 4 | $9.85/GB |
| Sep 3 | $9.85/GB |
DDR4 is -17.6% in 90 days.
Why RAM prices are moving
DRAM — the chip inside every memory kit — is a commodity made by a handful of fabs, and its price runs in cycles: when supply outruns demand, prices fall until manufacturers cut production; when demand from PCs, servers, and AI hardware outruns that reduced supply, prices spike until new capacity comes online. That cycle, not any single event, is why RAM can double in price over a few months and then drift back down over the following year.
Because the cycle keeps moving, a static explanation goes stale fast — the chart above is the actual, current answer to "why is RAM so expensive now," rebuilt every day from live retailer prices rather than written once and left to rot.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is RAM so expensive right now?
RAM pricing runs in boom-bust cycles driven by DRAM fab capacity: manufacturers cut production during oversupply, demand from PCs, servers and AI accelerators then outruns that reduced supply, and spot and contract prices spike until new capacity comes online. Rather than pin today's move to one cause, the live $/GB chart above shows exactly when and how fast prices have moved for DDR5 and DDR4 — check it for the current trend instead of relying on a static explanation that will age.
Is DDR5 or DDR4 cheaper per gigabyte right now?
It varies over time and the two charts above track it separately, since DDR5 and DDR4 are different products on independent supply curves. As DDR5 matures and DDR4 production winds down, expect their relative $/GB position to keep shifting rather than staying fixed.
Will RAM prices go back down?
Historically, yes — every DRAM price spike has eventually eased as fabs add capacity or demand cools — but there is no fixed timeline, and cycles have lasted anywhere from months to well over a year. The 30- and 90-day momentum figures above are the closest thing to a current answer.
Where can I see RAM price history, not just the current price?
The chart above plots the median $/GB we have recorded for DDR5 and DDR4 kits every day; expand "View as table" under either chart for the exact daily figures, or open a specific kit's product page for its own price-history chart.