Key Takeaways
1. RAM and storage prices have increased significantly due to rising demand from AI technologies.
2. DDR5 prices have shown a slight decrease of 7.2% after months of consistent increases.
3. Despite the recent drop, DDR5 prices are still 408% higher than last July, indicating ongoing high costs.
4. The price changes reported are specific to the German market and may not reflect global trends.
5. There are mixed predictions about whether RAM and storage prices will stabilize or continue to rise this year.
Pretty much everyone knows about the chaos around RAM and storage prices that has been going on for several months. The main reason for this price increase is AI, which requires a lot of RAM and storage. Prices have been rising consistently for about nine to ten months, but there seems to be a small light of hope now.
Slight Decrease in DDR5 Prices
3DCenter.org, a site that has been monitoring RAM and storage prices in Germany since July of last year, has shared that their latest updates show a drop in the increase of DDR5 prices. The average decrease has been 7.2% for 20 DDR5 products they looked at. This decline comes after six months (from July 2025 to January 2026) of ongoing increases and no changes in the past two months.
Still High Prices for DDR5
However, it’s important to note that DDR5 prices haven’t returned to normal levels. They are currently about 408% higher than prices from July. This means that instead of a 4.4x price jump, DDR5 is now at a 4.1x increase. So, while this drop is only a slight change, it’s still a good sign, especially after a month without any increase (February). It’s too soon to tell if this indicates a longer-term downward trend. Plus, this information is only relevant for the German market and not the global one.
Mixed Reports on Future Prices
There are various reports arguing both sides of the debate on whether RAM and storage prices will stabilize and drop this year or if they will keep climbing. No matter what, a significant change in the market has already occurred, impacting PC gaming, driving up smartphone prices, leading to the discontinuation of certain phones, and causing some DRAM manufacturers to leave the market entirely.
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