Summer Sales 2026: PC components to buy or avoid
The summer sales are in full swing and the June Prime Day has just ended. Yet, in the midst of a memory price crisis, not all "deals" are created equal. Some component categories remain at historically high prices, while others still offer real opportunities. Here is our market update to help you spend smartly this summer.
DDR5 RAM: The category to avoid if you can wait
This is the category most affected by the global memory shortage. A 32GB DDR5-6000 kit, which was around €75 in the summer of 2025, is now listed between €385 and €400 at major French retailers. Even during promotional events, the discounts remain symbolic given this surge.
If you are looking for DDR5 regardless, the best value for money currently lies in CL36 or CL38 kits without RGB, around €337 to €340 for 32GB at 6000 MT/s. Modules with lighting cost significantly more for zero performance gain.
- Avoid: Upgrading from DDR4 to DDR5 for memory alone — the gain in games (5 to 10% on average) does not justify €400 in 2026.
- Acceptable: A complete new AM5 configuration, where DDR5 is mandatory anyway.
DDR4 RAM: The safe bet for the summer
Good news for owners of AM4 or Intel LGA1700 platforms: DDR4 remains reasonable. A 32GB DDR4-3200 kit trades between €80 and €130 depending on the retailer. This is where the real sale bargains are: if your motherboard still accepts a stick, moving from 16GB to 32GB is one of the most cost-effective upgrades at the moment.
SSD: Monitor 1TB and 2TB capacities
NVMe SSDs are following the same upward trend as RAM, driven by data center demand. Promos still exist, but they are focused on specific models and sell out quickly. Our advice: set a target price per TB (around €75-85/TB for decent PCIe 4.0) and pull the trigger as soon as an offer drops below that threshold, without waiting for a hypothetical general drop.
Graphics cards and processors: Interesting windows
On the GPU side, the mid-range (RTX 5060, RTX 5060 Ti, RX 9060 XT) remains the most contested area of the market, with notable price differences between retailers. On the processor side, AM4 chips like the Ryzen 5 5600X (around €160) or the Ryzen 7 5700X remain excellent choices to extend a DDR4 platform without blowing your budget.
Should you buy a complete PC rather than individual components?
During periods of memory price hikes, an assembled PC can be cheaper than the sum of its parts, because pre-built configuration prices incorporate components purchased before the hikes. It's a good time to compare.
At DSGate, our gaming PCs assembled in France cover all budgets, from 1080p configurations under €800 to 1440p and 4K machines. Each PC is built and tested before shipping — enough to avoid the hunt for component-by-component promos.