The unexpected surge in AI data center investments has significantly impacted the memory market, leading to a sharp rise in DRAM prices. Samsung, one of the industry’s giants, has increased the price of individual memory chips by up to 60 percent since September.
Samsung Increases DRAM Prices
Recently, reports emerged that DRAM memory modules used for desktop computers have increased by over 170 percent year-over-year. Despite this surge in demand, memory manufacturers are not planning to increase production due to the possibility of a sudden drop in demand.
The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure throughout 2025 has caused numerous demand-related bottlenecks for critical hardware components. GPU shortages emerged with the launch of new graphics card series at the beginning of the year.
While this problem has eased, energy costs have risen in areas with concentrated data center construction. Even Microsoft struggled to find enough power to power its GPUs. During the same period, Elon Musk’s xAI company purchased large quantities of gas turbines and even imported a power plant. The ripple effect of the AI boom is now spreading more widely, and it has been profoundly impacting the memory market for several months. DRAM prices are rising rapidly, and it’s becoming clear that Samsung has been drastically raising chip prices behind the scenes. According to the latest information, the contract price for 32GB of DDR5 memory was $149 in September, but now it’s $239.
