The massive demand for artificial intelligence technologies has fundamentally shifted the balance in the memory (DRAM) market and pushed prices to historic levels. 2025 has become an exceptional year for the hardware industry. According to new reports from industry sources, major manufacturers such as Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron have temporarily suspended contract pricing for DDR modules.
DDR5 RAM Crisis Intensifies
The main reason for this situation is the memory demand from AI data centers. The prioritization of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production has significantly limited the production capacity for traditional DDR4 and DDR5 memory.
Market data shows that DDR5 16Gb spot prices have nearly doubled in just the past month, reaching $15.50. With this rapid increase, the total price growth since the beginning of 2025 has reached 172%.
The AI cycle is shrinking not only HBM demand but also the consumer-oriented DRAM market. The majority of manufacturers have allocated their existing production lines to Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and major tech companies.
This prioritization policy has caused price increases of 20% to 40% in retail products from brands such as Corsair, Adata, and G.Skill since the third quarter.
Samsung’s decision to suspend DDR5 contract pricing is increasing uncertainty about the market’s future. Other manufacturers are expected to follow suit. Experts predict that long-term supply agreements for AI hardware will continue to limit RAM availability in the consumer segment, and this situation may persist until the first quarter of 2026.
DDR5 RAM Crisis Intensifies
The main reason for this situation is the memory demand from AI data centers. The prioritization of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production has significantly limited the production capacity for traditional DDR4 and DDR5 memory.
Market data shows that DDR5 16Gb spot prices have nearly doubled in just the past month, reaching $15.50. With this rapid increase, the total price growth since the beginning of 2025 has reached 172%.
The AI cycle is shrinking not only HBM demand but also the consumer-oriented DRAM market. The majority of manufacturers have allocated their existing production lines to Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and major tech companies.
This prioritization policy has caused price increases of 20% to 40% in retail products from brands such as Corsair, Adata, and G.Skill since the third quarter.
Samsung’s decision to suspend DDR5 contract pricing is increasing uncertainty about the market’s future. Other manufacturers are expected to follow suit. Experts predict that long-term supply agreements for AI hardware will continue to limit RAM availability in the consumer segment, and this situation may persist until the first quarter of 2026.
