A significant development is underway for memory in computer and mobile devices. According to a report by technology research firm TrendForce, DRAM prices will rise again in the last quarter of 2025.
DRAM prices may rise
Manufacturers’ shifting focus to next-generation memory, such as DDR5 and HBM, used for servers is likely to cause further price increases, particularly for older-generation products like DDR4 and LPDDR4X.
According to the data, overall DRAM prices are expected to increase by 8 to 13 percent quarter-over-quarter. If high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is also included, this increase could reach as much as 18 percent. Even as shipments slow in the PC market and manufacturers reduce their orders, DDR4 and DDR5 supply remains tight, pushing prices up.
On the mobile side, prices are expected to increase by over 10 percent due to the decline in LPDDR4X production. Stockpiling by mid-range and low-end phone manufacturers is also accelerating this increase. While demand is increasing with the widespread adoption of LPDDR5X, there is no short-term supply shortage, but prices are expected to continue to rise.
The situation is no different for graphics card memory. Demand for GDDR7 is increasing ahead of NVIDIA’s RTX 6000 series, and suppliers’ strict pricing policies could lead to sharp price increases. Demand for GDDR6 is also strong, and due to limited supply, prices are rising faster than for GDDR7.
Although demand for consumer-focused DDR4 memory is slowing, limited production capacity is keeping prices high. The same applies to DDR3; prices continue to rise due to limited production.
