November 24, 2025
RAM-pocalypse Now
PS5 now costs less than 64GB of DDR5 memory. RAM jumps to $600 due to shortage
PS5 cheaper than memory: gamers rage as AI hoards the chips
TLDR: A 64GB DDR5 memory kit hit $600—more than a PS5—amid an AI-fueled parts crunch. Comments blame Big Tech’s AI binge, joke about raiding homelabs, and debate boycotting AI versus riding out the cycle until prices fall again, making this a wallet-watch moment for PC builders.
A $600 sticker on a 64GB DDR5 kit has the internet spitting coffee—and checking console prices. With RAM now pricier than a PlayStation 5, the comments went full meltdown. One camp is fuming at the AI gold rush devouring parts: “Everyone should unsub from this AI frenzy” shouted the anti-hype crowd, blaming Big Tech’s “AGI” (a goal of super-smart AI) for turning everyday memory into luxury goods. Price histories dropped like jump scares: kits that sat around $220 since September suddenly blasted to $640, a ~190% surge, and users like radicality posted receipts of $224 turning into $592—“wild :/”.
Others are already plotting survival moves. Homelab folks joked about scavenging unused sticks as even older DDR4 (the previous memory standard) creeps up. Meanwhile, one lucky parent flexed: buying in September beat Black Friday, which now feels like Black Eye Friday. The practical crowd says memory swings are normal (DRAM = computer memory chips; NAND = storage chips), and the industry will eventually overproduce again—maybe by 2027.
The memes? People are treating PS5s as “budget RAM,” and riffing that microSD cards are the new hard drives while Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine gets caught in the shortage crossfire. Drama level: spicy. The community’s split between boycott-the-bots and grin-and-bear-it—and everyone’s side-eyeing that $600 checkout button. Tom’s Hardware
Key Points
- •A 64GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 6000 MT/s DDR5 kit is listed at $599.99 on Newegg, exceeding the cost of a PS5 Slim or Xbox Series S and nearing a PS5 Pro.
- •The $600 price reflects a 6% Black Friday discount from an original $640, contrasting with earlier 2024 prices as low as $140–$349 for similar 64GB kits.
- •Price tracking shows the G.Skill kit rose from ~$220 on September 20 to ~$640 in late November—about a 190% increase in two months.
- •AI-driven demand is diverting DRAM and NAND supply toward enterprise clients, with constraints expected to persist through 2026 and potential relief around 2027.
- •Broader shortages include two-year backorders for nearline HDDs, rapid purchases of QLC SSDs, microSDs used as substitutes, and distributors bundling memory with motherboards.