– DDR5 memory prices have surged 3-4x year-over-year, driven by AI data centers consuming wafer capacity for high-margin HBM.
– Memory now accounts for ~35% of a laptop’s component cost (up from 15-18%), leading to 15-30% price hikes from major PC brands.
– The shortage has reversed the move to 16 GB RAM standard, with 8 GB notebooks returning to the market.
– No relief expected before late 2027 to 2028, as new fabrication plants won’t reach volume production until then.
– Decision advice: buy now if you need more memory; only wait if the upgrade is discretionary and you can risk further price increases.
RAMageddon Hits Notebooks Hard
The RAM shortage has spreaded from cheap DIY memory kits to the prices of whole notebooks, with the cheapest 32 GB DDR5 kit costing around $439 on June 15, up from about $375 less than two weeks prior. Last year, the same kit cost only $80 to $120, a massive three to four times price jump. Memory is now the most unstable cost part in a laptop, and the lack of supply has went from a issue only for PC builders to one that hits everyone.
Why AI Data Centers Are to Blame
The cause behind this huge price rise is simple: AI data centers. They’re taking up a bigger and bigger piece of global memory production, backed by roughly $650 billion in 2026 AI spending from four big U.S. companies. The three main suppliers, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, are moving wafers from regular DDR5 to higher-profit HBM. There is also a structural detail that makes this different from past memory shortages: 1 GB of HBM uses about three to four times the wafer space of standard DRAM, so every AI-focused wafer is one taken away from PC memory.
Consumers Feel It in Laptop Prices
Consumers feel this directly in laptop costs too. HP told investors that memory now makes up about 35 percent of a PC’s part cost, up from 15 to 18 percent just one quarter earlier. Other brands, such as Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS, have raised prices by 15 to 30 percent, meaning midrange notebooks that used to cost $900 could go above $1,200. There is also another side to this ongoing shortage: 8 GB laptops, which once seemed to be dieing out, are now coming back, replacing the 16 GB standard.
No Relief Until Late 2027
Experts agree that there will be no real relief before late 2027, possibly going into 2028, as new factories wont reach full production until then. Gartner predicts a combined DRAM and SSD price surge of over 130 percent by the end of the year, with PC prices riseing by an average of 17 percent and shipments falling by 10.4 percent. This means the shortage is not going away any time soon for consumers.
What to Do About Your Upgrade
In the end, anyone planing an upgrade faces a choice that comes down to need. If a machine needs more memory or storage now, it is worth buying today; waiting for 2025 prices means betting against providers whose production is fully booked, and it risks more increases. Only a not-necessary upgrade justifies waiting, given the slight softening that may happen as buyers hesitate and stop buying. The decison is tough but clear.