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"No stock": Samsung raises DDR5 contract price by over 100%

Samsung has reportedly increased the contract price of DDR5 memory by over 100%. Claiming that there is no stock, the Korean Giant has pushed the contract price of DDR5 DRAM near $20. OEMs are likely to pass this price hike on to the consumers in 2026.

www.notebookcheck.net

It appears the super-inflated DRAM pricing is here to stay, as Samsung has reportedly increased the DDR5 contract price by over 100%. This sudden increase has brought the DDR5 contract price to $19.2 per Jukan on X. Citing Taiwanese media reports, Jukan claims that Samsung informed "downstream customers", or OEMs, that there is "no stock!".

Not only has Samsung increased the DDR5 contract price, but the contract price of DDR4 DRAM has also followed suit. Jukan reports that contract pricing for 16 GB of DDR4 DRAM has jumped to $18. So, OEMs and customers looking towards DDR4 memory as a temporary, cost-effective solution may now have to face the same sort of price inflation as DDR5.

Finally, Taiwanese media also remarks that, contrary to expectations of a gradual pricing decrease, spot DDR5 memory prices have seen even worse inflation in December. DDR4 memory prices are also on the rise, with "no signs of resting".

How will the increase in the DDR5 contract price affect consumers?

While Samsung's DDR5 contract price increase directly affects the OEMs buying memory chips at scale, the OEMs are likely to pass the burden on to the consumers. For instance, Lenovo could bump the price of its 2026 laptop lineup to account for the latest DDR5 pricing bump. Laptop makers could even reduce the amount of memory in entry-level SKUs to save costs. The same could be true for smartphone makers like Apple and even Samsung.

So, if you need a new phone, laptop, or desktop RAM urgently, it might be a good idea to buy what you need right now. We are expecting some major price hikes in Q1 2026, and things aren't expected to improve until 2027.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Of course there is stock, you just want more money for it.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Honestly, is there ever good news when it comes to hardware these days?

 

[The Cockatrice]

See you in 2030 hardware upgrade bros.

 

[DeepEnigma]

RAM dealers are the new diamond dealers.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Honestly, is there ever good news when it comes to hardware these days?

Yes. This will cause more people to buy used therefore killing the planet a bit slower and possibly teaching people important lessons about the not needing best and latest. MacBook M1 Max is half the price of a new regular M5, while often outperforming it significantly in benchmarks.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Yes. This will cause more people to buy used therefore killing the planet a bit slower and possibly teaching people important lessons about the not needing best and latest. MacBook M1 Max is half the price of a new regular M5, while often outperforming it significantly in benchmarks.

I think it's more likely that people behave the same way, but rely more on credit than before, thereby setting up the next disaster after the AI bubble bursts.

 

[Magic-DEI-Hire]

Fuck AI

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I think it's more likely that people behave the same way, but rely more on credit than before, thereby setting up the next disaster after the AI bubble bursts.

I was working hard on a witty response but you are probably right.

 

[TVexperto]

fuck this is the real recession indicator

 

[Midway-AGNC-]

This should, at the very least, trigger an antitrust investigation into potential artificial price inflation and market manipulation. Simply claiming "there is no stock" while the three major manufacturers control virtually the entire global DRAM supply sounds far more like deliberate supply restriction to drive prices up than a genuine shortage.

There is obviously stock available. What actually exists is a financial incentive to redirect capacity toward higher-margin products like HBM for AI, squeeze the consumer market, and force price hikes knowing that OEMs and end users have no real alternatives. This is a classic example of behavior that has historically resulted in multi-billion-dollar fines for cartel activity and price fixing in the memory industry. This isn't "market forces", it's concentrated opportunism — and yes, in many jurisdictions, that is a crime when proven.

 

[64gigabyteram]

I think it's more likely that people behave the same way, but rely more on credit than before, thereby setting up the next disaster after the AI bubble bursts.

Back in the day higher prices meant sales fell. But when people have been so thoroughly zombified by consumerism folks will buy whatever even if it costs an arm and a leg. Finance your car, then a phone, then a burrito, now ram.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

 

[Sentenza]

 

[DeepEnigma]

The true dystopia, where consumer level tech slows to a halt, but the mega-corps blossom unfettered and unchecked.

 

[GHG]

I have an old laptop that I'm looking to sell.

Guess I'll hold off until the prices go haywire again.

 

[Zacfoldor]

...

 

[Bojji]

...

You think Sony is immune to this? They even added DDR5 memory in PS5 Pro and GDDR6 is produced by Samsung as well (and Hynix, Micron - all of them are data center focused).

Ehhh, I think we will be revisiting posts like these 6 months from now.

 

[Skifi28]

Yeah, hardware is fucking over.

 

[LectureMaster]

The true dystopia, where consumer level tech slows to a halt, but the mega-corps blossom unfettered and unchecked.

 

[Sentenza]

Maybe letting a couple of manufacturers being resposnsible of producing hardware for the entire planet wasn't such a good idea after all.
Especially when talking about a commodity that keeps getting more and more in demand as the time goes.

 

[Hookshot]

I'd just like to say I didn't get a new PC earlier in the year and I wish I had 8gb of ram, please do not rob my house.

 

[Mayar]

We live in "wonderful" times. If someone had told me three or five years ago that something like this was even possible, I wouldn't have believed it. The saddest thing is that it looks like this is just the beginning.

 

[Deerock71]

RAM dealers are the new diamond dealers.

They've been digging under sand for oil, passing up the real treasure all along...

 

[DaleinCalgary]

You think Sony is immune to this? They even added DDR5 memory in PS5 Pro and GDDR6 is produced by Samsung as well (and Hynix, Micron - all of them are data center focused).

Ehhh, I think we will be revisiting posts like these 6 months from now.

Those that want a ps5 here have one. I love mine

 

[The_hunter]

 

[rm082e]

SSDs are next?

 

[DaleinCalgary]

SSDs are next?

Maybe, I'm not sure how they are made but probably similar. It is not cheap to build a fab to make these parts.

edit: looks like ddr5 isn't cutting edge and ssd's are easier than that

DDR 5 and SSD's approx 10nm and more

• $10–20+ billion USD to build and equip a fab
• Thousands of highly specialized engineers

 

[Mayar]

 

[rm082e]

What are the chances this pushes the next console launches out by a year or more? Anyone think that Holiday '27 assumption is going to slip to '28?

 

[nkarafo]

Damn, i would never guess the RAM i bought a year ago would be my retirement plan.

 

[RoboFu]

SSDs are next?

yes, they are already going up.

 

[Sethbacca]

I'm feeling a lot better about having bought into PS5 Pro these days...... next gen could be rough.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

What are the chances this pushes the next console launches out by a year or more? Anyone think that Holiday '27 assumption is going to slip to '28?

2029 is my bet.

 

[Fabieter]

What are the chances this pushes the next console launches out by a year or more? Anyone think that Holiday '27 assumption is going to slip to '28?

Yeah i think so too. There is a high chance it gets better by 28.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Those that want a ps5 here have one. I love mine

Those that want a PC here have one. I love mine.

 

[StereoVsn]

Yeah i think so too. There is a high chance it gets better by 28.

Yeah, 2028 seems more and more likely. Unless Sony don't care and just charges early adapters a lot more before dropping a year later.

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Fabieter]

Yeah, 2028 seems more and more likely. Unless Sony don't care and just charges early adapters a lot more before dropping a year later.

Yeah pro pricing as base pricing is possible next generation but early momentum is crucial for consoles.

 

[Rossco EZ]

 

[mckmas8808]

RAM dealers are the new diamond dealers.

Or the new Drug Dealers.

 

[Insane Metal]

Y'all know where this will take us, right? I've just watched the Matrix.

 

[Memati187]

So do I have to sell my kidneys to afford next gen PlayStation?

 

[IFireflyl]

 

[Fabieter]

So do I have to sell my kidneys to afford next gen PlayStation?

A second job will be more than succficient.

 

[apple_of_enlightenment]

Not to be facetious but we really hit diminishing returns this gen. More RAM, for what? AI visualisations are much more interesting than video games graphics these days.

 

[winjer]

 

[Metnut]

So many people here so confident the AI bubble is going to burst. Why not put your money where your mouth is take short positions and get rich?

 

[RoboFu]

Not to be facetious but we really hit diminishing returns this gen. More RAM, for what? AI visualisations are much more interesting than video games graphics these days.

Well if you just game you probably do not need more than 16 gig but DDR does better with 2 sticks so it's mostly sold in pairs of 16.
32 benefits gamers now because they usually have something else going on like discord, streaming, porn, and ever increasing windows bloat all running in the background.

 

[DirtInUrEye]

Honestly, is there ever good news when it comes to hardware these days?