Computer memory DRAM prices surge faster than gold

The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and workloads is placing unprecedented strain on the global memory market, pushing DRAM prices to historic highs. DRAM, or Dynamic Random Access Memory, refers to the physical memory chips installed inside computers, phones, and servers that store data temporarily while a system is running.

Taiwan-based market watcher TrendForce reported that DRAM contract prices in the third quarter of 2025 jumped 171.8% year on year. TechSpot noted that the increase exceeded gains in gold prices over the same period.

Industry insider Wu Shen said memory prices are "almost changing daily," according to China’s United Daily News. A single 256GB DDR5 server memory module now costs more than 40,000 yuan (US$5,716). Buying 100 units at once would total 4 million yuan, he said, "which is already more valuable than quite a few Shanghai properties."

Chen, a small trader at SEG Electronics Market, one of China’s largest hubs for computer components in Shenzhen said a memory card in her shop costed just over $14 at the beginning of September last year, but it has now tripled. "In decades of doing business, I have never seen anything this extreme," Chen said, as quoted by Znews.

Computer memory DRAM displayed with gold bars. Illustration from X

The AI infrastructure boom is tightening global memory supply as manufacturers shift production away from consumer electronics toward higher-margin memory used in data centers, according to market intelligence firm International Data Corporation.

Instead of producing conventional DRAM and NAND for smartphones and PCs, major memory makers are prioritizing advanced products such as high-bandwidth memory and DDR5 for AI servers, which require far more memory per system. This shift has reduced supply for consumer devices and pushed prices higher as suppliers prioritize orders from hyperscalers and AI server builders.

TrendForce forecasts that DRAM prices will continue rising as chipmakers favor AI server production. In December 2025, U.S. memory maker Micron announced it would discontinue its Crucial consumer memory and storage brand after 29 years to focus more on large AI clients.

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are reportedly planning to raise server memory prices by up to 70% in the first quarter of this year, The Register reported.

TrendForce projected that conventional DRAM contract prices in the first quarter of 2026 will rise 55–60% quarter on quarter, while server DRAM prices are expected to surge by more than 60%.

IDC warned that the "unprecedented" global memory chip shortage is likely to have knock-on effects for hardware makers and end users that could persist well into 2027.