Current RAM prices

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  • Slawek's Avatar
    Level 7
    Hello everyone!I was planning to build new PC, because my 8 year old laptop is about to give up. Yesterday I noticed what happened to RAM prices. I did some research and now I know that it's because of AI. I’m not sure what to do anymore. Should I buy now before it gets even worse, or wait and hope the prices drop? Some people say the prices won't go down until 2027.
  • 11 Replies

  • Abdelsalam's Avatar
    Level 52
    Waiting until 2027 just to save a bit on RAM isn’t worth it. That’s a long time and your 8year old laptop might not even last that long. Prices might drop eventually but there’s no guarantee.Just build now with less RAM and upgrade later when things hopefully get cheaper. RAM is the easiest part to swap out and at least you’ll have a fast new PC instead of struggling with an old one.
    Not all those who wander are lost
  • R1mpl0's Avatar
    Level 20
    @Slawek yeah, consumer prices are about to increase since Mircon is discontinuing there Crucial brand starting next year Feb. Things about to heat up.
  • Aapje's Avatar
    Level 16
    It's unfortunate that you waited a bit too long. However, GPU prices are still OK, but will go up soon, so it is still better to buy one of those right now.

    One option is to go for AM4 or Intel 1700 socket with DDR4. You may be able to get a decent deal on the second hand market for DDR4 RAM, or even an entire machine.

    Ultimately, it is very hard to know the future. We could have a huge AI crash in a month. We could have OpenAI deciding that they bought too much RAM and reselling it, solving most of the shortage, or we could have a long period of high prices.

    But if you need something soon, it is probably better to strike quickly.
  • mazen18's Avatar
    Level 52
    Waiting until 2027 just to save a bit on RAM isn’t worth it. That’s a long time and your 8year old laptop might not even last that long. Prices might drop eventually but there’s no guarantee.Just build now with less RAM and upgrade later when things hopefully get cheaper. RAM is the easiest part to swap out and at least you’ll have a fast new PC instead of struggling with an old one.
    i agree, and suggest ddr4 also
  • ValwF's Avatar
    Level 17
    Given the circumstances, you don't have to buy a RAM kit at the moment. You can buy a single 16GB/32GB stick and then add another in time to enable dual-channel. You will have a penalty with single-channel, and there is no guarantee that the exact same stick will be available at a later date. It is not an ideal situation.

    Micron is also closing its consumer business, so it is better to explore other brands than to look at Crucial. I have had a good experience with ADATA (and XPG) RAM, and it doesn't break the bank. There are other options, too, at that price point.

    Make sure to evaluate all opinions, and to do your own research.
  • miskkie's Avatar
    Level 15
    I've done the single stick "hack" before to save money. Definitely a viable way to go. Not entirelyt sure how finicky DDR5 is tho? Does it actually more or less require to be paired with exact same kind of ram?
  • mazen18's Avatar
    Level 52
    @miskkie the ddr ram needs to be the same for it to work. so ddr5 will only work with another ddr5. and for speed, it will be limited to the slowest one.
  • iuiu's Avatar
    Level 14
    any electronic product seem that will need to be influenced by these RAM prices.
    lets see how apple will deal with this on the release of their new phones
  • RatlleRo's Avatar
    Level 13
    Sadly the projections I read and heard for the next year are dark, and this means that building a desktop is becoming a luxury . It will be: what do I need more? a car or a desktop?