1 day ago
12
Random access memory, or RAM, is in just about every piece of technology we use. But it’s also the technology that AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta are using to power the servers in their massive data centers. Now, the world’s biggest memory makers — Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — are taking advantage of a surge in demand, shifting their resources away from consumer-focused products and toward more lucrative deals with AI companies.
The result is a severe shortage in RAM for consumer products, which is not only contributing to price hikes on the RAM kits used by PC builders but also for the manufacturers of a range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, and a whole lot more. Some companies, like Raspberry Pi, have already raised the prices of their products as a result of the increase, while others anticipate price hikes coming soon.
Here’s all the latest news on the rising price of RAM.
RAM is ruining everything
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Memory suppliers just blew a hole in the PC gaming industry – and they’re about to do the same to everything else. For weeks, PC enthusiasts have borne the brunt of skyrocketing memory prices, but the shockwaves will soon impact a wider range of products as suppliers pour resources into a far bigger and more lucrative endeavor: AI.
The biggest names in the AI industry are buying up DRAM memory for their sprawling data centers, and memory makers are prioritizing their demands over everyone else’s. DRAM is embedded “in every part of our digital society today,” Jeff Janukowicz, research VP at IDC, tells The Verge. That’s everything from laptops to smartphones, gaming consoles, smart TVs, cars, and even small amounts in solid-state drives (SSDs). “There’s a lot at stake,” he says.
Samsung memory is nearly as big as Samsung Galaxy.
I knew Samsung made lots of money making chips, not just electronics. But Emma’s RAM report puts it in perspective: Last quarter, the company earned nearly twice as much from memory as from its entire TV and appliance business.
Samsung’s mobile biz was still bigger than memory ($22.8B vs. $18.2B), but not by much!
Crucial is shutting down — because Micron wants to sell its RAM and SSDs to AI companies instead
Image: Micron
DRAM it! Raspberry Pi raises prices
Raspberry Pi is increasing the price of several single-board computers in an attempt to offset soaring memory costs. The updates are being applied immediately and affect Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5, with prices increasing by $5 to $25 depending on the model and amount of RAM. The 16GB memory variants of the Compute Module 5 are also being raised by $20, now starting at $140.
“The current pressure on memory prices, driven by competition from the AI infrastructure roll-out, is painful but ultimately temporary,” Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton said in the announcement. “We remain committed to driving down the cost of computing and look forward to unwinding these price increases once it abates.”
These prebuilt PCs are about to cost more due to rising RAM prices
Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The skyrocketing price of RAM is trickling down to custom PC makers, including CyberPowerPC and Maingear. On Wednesday, CyberPowerPC announced that it plans to adjust the pricing across all of its systems on December 7th, as reported earlier by PCMag.
“Recently, global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%,” CyberPowerPC says in a statement posted on X. “This has had a direct impact on the cost of building gaming PCs since 10/1/25.”
RAM prices are so out of control that stores are selling it like lobster
Image: Corsair
Michael Crider’s headline at PCWorld today perfectly captures how ridiculous the PC memory shortage has become: stores like the San Francisco Bay Area’s Central Computers are beginning to sell RAM at market prices, like you’d pay for the catch-of-the-day at a seafood restaurant.
“Costs are fluctuating daily as manufacturers and distributors adjust to limited supply and high demand,” reads a message posted in the store’s display case, as spotted by Steve Lin. “Because of this, we can’t display fixed prices at this time.”
English (US) ·