Memory and storage prices have surged dramatically since last October, triggered by a deepening shortage in the DRAM and NAND markets. The impact is visible across the component spectrum: a Crucial Pro 2 x 16 GB DDR5-6,000 kit that cost just $89 last October now sells for $549, while a Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB SSD has climbed to $389 — roughly three times its price a year ago.
AI Expansion Drives Insatiable Demand
The root cause of the price escalation lies in extraordinary demand for DRAM and NAND from artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI, which continue to rapidly expand their server infrastructure. How long this tight market will persist remains a subject of debate among industry analysts, as the trajectory depends both on manufacturing capacity expansions and on the evolving consumption patterns of AI firms.
Price Forecasts Point to a Turbulent Path
According to the latest projections from Bernstein analysts, relief may not arrive until 2028, and only after prices climb further in the near term. The cost per gigabit of DRAM is expected to rise by 43.2 percent to $2.23 in 2027, before a subsequent decline of 52.9 percent brings it down to $1.05 in 2028. At that level, DRAM would still cost roughly twice as much as it did before the crisis began, though about one-third less than current pricing.
A similar pattern is projected for NAND flash storage. The average price for 1 GB of NAND flash currently sits at $0.30, with a marginal increase to $0.32 anticipated next year. By 2028, prices are forecast to drop sharply by 68.8 percent to $0.10, a level that would still remain approximately 25 percent above pre-crisis levels — reflecting a market that may cool considerably but not fully return to its former lows.
Sources: x.com, unsplash.com