It looks like there will soon be price increases and shortages for the next PC component after graphics cards: RAM, the crucial memory, is currently in high demand among international companies that are buying products in bulk.
Which component is it? Memory, or RAM (Random Access Memory), is an important component for PCs. Memory serves as a cache for files. Every time a computer boots up, the processor needs various information, such as program drivers, to function correctly.
The more RAM you have in a system, the more information can be cached simultaneously. This is especially important for multitasking. Read on MeinMMO about how a Steam feature allows you to watch movies while gaming: Steam now has a new feature: You can watch movies while gaming and take notes
In line with this, Gabe Newell presents a kitchen device in a commercial:
Price increases of 100 percent are not the end
Why are prices rising? Since about mid-2025, there have been noticeable price increases for memory. Especially companies focused on AI are said to be gradually buying up available stocks. This creates a scarcity of RAM, which in turn results in price increases (via tomshardware).
For comparison:
- At the beginning of 2025, a 32 GB DDR5 RAM kit from Corsair cost around 100 euros (via Geizhals).
- Now, the same module has been costing about 200 euros since November 13, 2025 (via Geizhals). This corresponds to an increase of 100 percent.
Recently, not only AI companies are said to be buying up the remaining memory stocks, but manufacturers like Asus and MSI are also starting to purchase remaining stock and fill their warehouses.
Large companies are buying memory, consumers are hit particularly hard
Why do companies need memory? Companies like Microsoft and Nvidia derive a large portion of their revenue from server offerings such as cloud services (via Nvidia.com). These services require large amounts of memory to handle increasing numbers of users.
As AI becomes more mainstream, more companies are relying on AI systems to automate work processes. This further increases the demand for server structures for artificial intelligence.
What does this mean for the user? For the average user looking to buy memory for their gaming PC, this means that either prices will soar or no products will be available. Ultimately, this also affects pre-built PCs and other devices that also require memory.
A YouTuber needed very special memory for his PC, which can however be bought somewhere. In his latest experiment, he equipped a 40-year-old computer with 64 MB of memory. For this, he had to design the RAM himself: A YouTuber builds his own memory to upgrade a 40-year-old PC and it actually works
