2026 RAM Crisis: Why DDR5 Prices Have Skyrocketed

Price comparison websites and French computer retailers widely agree: DDR5 has entered a new pricing category since the beginning of the year. A 2x16 GB DDR5 6000 MT/s kit that cost under €130 at the end of 2024 now exceeds €330 for entry-level models on the French market. A 2.5-fold increase in less than eighteen months completely changes the game for anyone planning to assemble a PC or upgrade their memory.

What exactly are we seeing in stores?

Here’s a quick overview of prices recorded in May 2026 at major French retailers:

These prices are for entry to mid-range kits. More performant CL30 or CL28 kits, favored by some AM5 gamers, frequently exceed €400. As a reminder, these same CL30 kits were trading around €150 just over a year ago.

Three Factors Explain the Surge

1. AI Demand Absorbs Part of the Production

The artificial intelligence boom has significantly increased demand for HBM memory (used in data center GPUs) and DDR5 for servers. However, the production capacities of Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are shared across different segments. When a significant portion of production goes to hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google, Meta, AWS), there is naturally less left for the general public.

2. Production Costs Remain High

New DDR5 etching processes (1α, 1β, 1γ nm) remain more complex and expensive to industrialize than previous generations. The yield remains lower than what foundries initially hoped for, which keeps unit costs higher than expected.

3. Supplier Consolidation Reduces Price Competition

The global DRAM market is essentially controlled by three players: Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. This oligopolistic structure facilitates coordinated production adjustments to preserve margins, especially in a context where AI demand creates a more profitable outlet than the general public.

What about DDR4?

DDR4 remains relatively unaffected by this surge. Several reasons account for this: production capacities have been mature for a long time, AI demand does not concern this generation, and existing stocks at distributors are gradually being depleted. A 2x16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz kit can still be found between €75 and €100 on sale, and a 2x32 GB DDR4 3200 kit remains under €180 in most cases.

As a result, the price difference between 32 GB DDR4 and DDR5 now exceeds €150 to €200 in favor of DDR4, which is the difference between a balanced system and an over-budgeted memory system.

What are the prospects for the rest of 2026?

Several industry analysts (TrendForce, DRAMeXchange) indicate that DDR5 price stabilization is not expected before the end of the second half of 2026. A return to more accessible levels is not anticipated before 2027, with no certainty that pre-crisis prices will ever return. The additional production capacity announced by foundries primarily targets the server and HBM market, not the general public.

Practically speaking, for a buyer preparing a configuration in May 2026, two strategies are rational:

• Economy strategy: build a DDR4 platform (AM4 or Intel LGA1700 DDR4) with a Ryzen 5 5500/5600GT/5700X or a Core i5-12400F/14400F. This offers memory savings of €150 to €200, which can be reinvested in a better graphics card.
• Abundance strategy: build a recent DDR5 platform (AM5, Core Ultra Series 2), accepting the current memory surcharge, with the idea that the memory will remain usable for several upgrades.

The right compromise depends on the total budget. For a limited budget (under €1000), DDR4 remains the reasonable path. For a larger budget, DDR5 still makes sense if savings are made elsewhere.

And at DSGate?

DSGate's technical catalog remains articulated around DDR4 platforms (AM4 and Intel LGA1700 DDR4), precisely to absorb this market context without passing on the memory price surge to the final configurations. The DDR4 memory used is of standard quality (Crucial, Kingston, Patriot depending on availability), in 16 GB or 32 GB depending on the tier. PCs are assembled in France, in Paris. Consult DSGate configurations.

Key Takeaways

• 32 GB DDR5 6000 MT/s kits exceed €330 in France in May 2026, multiplied by 2.5 compared to late 2024.
• Three causes: AI demand, new process production costs, DRAM oligopoly.
• DDR4 remains unaffected by the crisis, priced around €75 to €180 depending on capacity.
• No stabilization expected before late 2026, no return to pre-crisis prices anticipated before 2027.
• For a configuration under €1000, the DDR4 platform remains the most rational compromise.