The costs of RAM memories have shown a significant increase, although the magnitude of this adjustment varies depending on the country and the specific model. In the United States, which serves as a reference for other markets, prices rose by approximately 500% between 2025 and 2026, according to a survey conducted by Tom's Hardware.
Analyzing specifically the PC segment, it is observed that the price increase is considerably more pronounced for DDR5 memories. Furthermore, memory kits with higher capacity were the ones that suffered the most substantial adjustments.
Although the analyzed table focuses on kits composed of two DDR5 memory modules, the price increase also affects modules sold separately. In this latter category, some increments exceed ten times the original value. A notable example is a 128 GB G.Skill DDR5-6400 module, which cost US$ 329 in 2025 but is currently sold for US$ 3,399.
Given these discrepancies, some consumers opt to use computers that still employ DDR4 memories or upgrade equipment based on this standard. However, this alternative has limitations, since DDR4 modules have also seen price increases, albeit in proportions considered 'less severe', ranging between 120% and 180%.
The outlook is that RAM memory prices will continue to rise in the coming months. Many experts predict that any stabilization will only be observed in 2028, and even this forecast is considered overly optimistic.
The fundamental cause of this scenario is driven by artificial intelligence. The accelerated growth in the number of such applications requires a continuous increase in the construction or expansion of data centers to support them. As a direct consequence, all RAM production projected for 2027 has already been fully commercialized.
The complexity of the situation forced PC manufacturers to prioritize the production of machines with a lower amount of memory. This context likely motivated Microsoft to make an unexpected statement: optimizing Windows 11 to run on computers equipped with only 8 GB of RAM.