November 4, 2025
RAM-pocalypse Now
Server DRAM prices surge 50% as AI-induced memory shortage hits hyperscalers
AI hogs the memory; PC builders scream price gouging, scalpers, and a broken market
TLDR: Server DRAM (computer memory) prices jumped up to 50% and even the biggest cloud firms are getting only 70% of what they order, squeezing everyone else. Commenters rage about monopolies, joke about Moore’s Law dying, and warn of scalpers, as amateurs and businesses brace for pricier PCs well into 2026.
AI just ate the world’s RAM buffet, and the comments are serving the spice. News that giant cloud companies (“hyperscalers”) are only getting about 70% of the server memory they ordered—even after agreeing to up to 50% price hikes—has PC builders fuming. Retail DDR5 sticks jumped from $7–$8 to around $13, and vondur claims desktop RAM feels “twice as expensive” compared to six months ago. Cue the ripple: tempest_ groans that DDR4, the older stuff, is climbing too.
The blame game is hot. Some point at AI chips hogging factory lines, with suppliers like Samsung raising prices across memory and storage, while others see Monopoly/Duopoly vibes and predict worse without competition. “Has the death of Moore’s Law been announced yet?” asks HPsquared, turning the thread into an existential tech wake. There’s humor, too: tuhgdetzhh jokes about bulk-buying high-capacity sticks to flip on eBay—because of course there’ll be scalpers.
Behind the drama, the supply math is brutal: spot prices are spiking, some suppliers won’t even quote, smaller buyers are stuck at 35–40% fulfillment, and shortages could linger into 2026, per DigiTimes and TrendForce. Translation: fewer upgrades, pricier builds, and a lot more memes about the RAM‑pocalypse. Brace your wallets, folks.
Key Points
- •U.S. and Chinese hyperscalers are receiving about 70% of ordered server DRAM despite agreeing to up to 50% Q4 contract price increases.
- •Samsung and SK hynix have diverted capacity to AI-focused components, tightening supply for DDR5 RDIMMs and server DRAM.
- •Spot prices surged since late September; several top-tier suppliers reportedly refused October quotes, with DDR5 16 GB modules rising to around $13.
- •Smaller OEMs and channel players face 35%–40% fulfillment rates, with allocations constrained and relief not expected until 2026.
- •Micron and TrendForce warn of continued tight DRAM supply and variable pricing, while DDR4’s market share declines to about 20% and is not prioritized.