Why have RAM and SSDs become so expensive in the last 6 months?
If you've been considering upgrading your gaming PC recently, you've probably noticed one thing: RAM and SSDs have become significantly more expensive in a very short amount of time. Prices for both DDR5 memory and NVMe SSDs have shot up in recent months, leaving many wondering why this is happening.
At Gameify, we follow the hardware market closely every single day, and the reason is primarily one thing: the AI boom.
The world's largest memory manufacturers – such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron – have shifted large parts of their production to memory and storage for AI servers and data centres.
Modern AI systems require enormous amounts of specialised memory, particularly so-called HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), which is used in powerful AI GPUs from Nvidia, among others. The problem is that the production of this memory uses much of the same capacity as standard DDR5 RAM and NAND storage for SSDs.
The result is that less production capacity will be available for regular gaming PCs and the consumer market.
Several analyses show that the prices of DRAM and NAND have risen extremely rapidly since the end of 2025. Some DDR5 kits that previously cost around $100 have now risen to over $300 in some parts of the world. SSD prices have also increased sharply, especially for larger, high-capacity models.
In addition, other factors come into play:
- Increased demand from data centres
- Reduced production of consumer memory
- Geopolitical conflicts and supply chain issues
- Higher production costs
- High demand for AI hardware globally
Several experts also believe that prices may continue to rise through large parts of 2026 before the market stabilises again.
This naturally affects the gaming PC market directly. As RAM and SSDs become more expensive, the cost of building powerful gaming machines also increases. Therefore, we are now seeing many companies increasing prices and reducing the quality of components in order to make the most profit per PC.
At Gameify, we always try to balance price and quality as best we can. We build PCs with components we actually trust, and we avoid cheap solutions that could compromise performance and stability in the long run.
The market is more challenging than it has been for a long time, but one thing is certain: quality components and correct optimisation mean more than ever before.