PC Gamers looking to upgrade their RAM kits can price themselves out of buying a RAM kit, as RAM prices have more than tripled since September and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. The surge in RAM prices affecting PC gaming invariably affects the prices of consoles, smartphones, and other modern devices that require RAM.
The recent increase in RAM prices is due to an October deal that OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT, signed with Samsung and SK Hynix, the world's largest manufacturers of RAM and other components. The deal between OpenAI, Samsung and SK Hynix gives OpenAI 40% of the world's RAM inventory for its Stargate data center expansion project, pumping $500 billion into the four-year effort. Along with server expansion plans, OpenAI has recently drawn the ire of Japanese gaming companies for copyright infringement, as products like its Sora 2 video generator are trained with material similar to content from Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and other Japanese studios.
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RAM kit prices have more than tripled since October.
After OpenAI signed deals with SK Hynix and Samsung, RAM kit prices began to take an unfortunate turn for consumers around the world. Originally priced at $90 on Amazon in September 2025, a 2x16GB kit of DDR5-6000 RAM has more than tripled in price, up to $290, as of this writing. DDR4 RAM kits were also less affected, but the biggest price increases consistently hit DDR5 RAM across the board. These constant fluctuations in RAM prices are reportedly causing retailers like Micro Center to cut fixed prices in their stores. So retailers are instead telling PC manufacturers to talk to their sales associates for pricing and additional information about the RAM kit they want.
Surging RAM prices will extend beyond the PC build space and will invariably impact the prices of consoles and smart devices through at least 2025 and 2026. Rumors suggest that Microsoft is considering another price hike for its Xbox consoles due to the continued surge in RAM prices. However, it's unclear when or how much the prices will change.
Additionally, due to the continued surge in RAM prices, Valve has yet to reveal pricing for Steam Machine. Only time will tell how long it will take for prices to stabilize.
Source: PCPartPicker
