The massive demand for AI technologies has radically shifted the balance of power in the memory (DRAM) market, pushing prices to historic levels. 2025 has become an exceptional year for the hardware industry. According to new reports from industry sources, major manufacturers such as Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron have decided to temporarily suspend contract pricing for DDR modules.
The DDR5 RAM crisis is growing
The primary driver of this situation is memory demand in AI data centers. The prioritization of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production, in particular, has severely constrained traditional DDR4 and DDR5 memory production capacity.
Market data shows that DDR5 16GB spot prices have nearly doubled to $15.50 in the past month alone. This rapid increase has led to a total price increase of 172% since the beginning of 2025.
The AI cycle is not only squeezing HBM demand but also the consumer-focused DRAM market. The vast majority of manufacturers have allocated their existing production lines to Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and large technology companies.
This prioritization policy has led to price increases of 20% to 40% for products from retail brands like Corsair, Adata, and G.Skill since the third quarter.
Samsung’s decision to discontinue DDR5 contract pricing increases uncertainty about the future of the market. Other manufacturers are expected to follow suit. Experts predict that long-term supply agreements for AI hardware will continue to constrain RAM supply in the consumer segment, and this situation could persist until the first quarter of 2026.
