The prices of RAM continue to rise, and a user has had enough. In a lengthy post, a call for a boycott of the hardware is made to lower prices. However, the comments are divided on how sensible the proposed strategy is.
What is being demanded by whom? The user Arbiter61 calls in his Reddit post from November 28, 2025, for a boycott of RAM. He addresses the purchasing power of consumers and urges all buyers not to purchase any more RAM until prices stabilize.
He describes the future without a boycott as bleak and states that “$1,000 for RAM is excessive.” He also notes:
So, do you all want to pay $5,000 for a computer full of five-year-old parts? Now is the time to say “no,” buy older, cheaper RAM, purchase used, and avoid rewarding this practice with your hard-earned money.
Furthermore, he explains that while gamers supposedly account for only about 30 percent of total RAM sales, it would still be worthwhile if everyone collectively refrained from purchases. For:
As alternatives to buying, he suggests reusing old RAM, waiting, or upgrading other parts of the PC. Which upgrades will be worth it for your PC in 2025 can be read on MeinMMO.
If someone wants to buy a whole PC instead of an upgrade, they can take a look at the upcoming Steam Machine:
Users in the fight against companies
Is the idea worth it? In theory, the idea may seem reasonable, but there are several problems. Lack of production capacity and increasing demand from AI companies are the main reasons for the current RAM prices.
While many AI companies are currently purchasing RAM in large quantities, another problem is the limited production capacity of RAM manufacturers. Gamers continue to prefer DDR4 memory as AMD and Intel still support older CPU sockets. For this reason, the demand for modern DDR5 memory was lacking, and manufacturers refrained from increasing production. However, this is becoming a problem: the demand in the AI sector is high, but the capacities cannot meet the amounts. This drives prices up for everyone (via wccftech and trendforce).
RAM manufacturers were supposedly unprepared for a big purchasing surge from AI companies, especially those preferring DDR5 RAM, such as OpenAI. Alone, OpenAI is said to have struck a deal with some RAM manufacturers, claiming approximately 40 percent of the world’s RAM production (via tomshardware).
The purchasing behavior of gamers is therefore unlikely to significantly impact price development, as gamers make up only a small portion of buyers. While a boycott call is well-intentioned, it will only have a limited effect on prices.
Gamers are not responsible for high sales figures of current RAM. However, they are often involved with zeal and emotions, as a gamer fulfilling their dream proves.
Community is divided and has little hope
The post has now reached over 5,000 upvotes and 600 comments (as of December 3, 2025). Users say the following about the idea:
- mendax2014 writes: “Of course I agree with you… But if we can’t stick together to pre-order overpriced games, then people won’t care about this either.”
- NotMalaysiaRichard says: “You are crazy if you think that PC gamers and enthusiasts will make a big difference.”
- Last_Examination_131 explains “The problem is AI… there is little available RAM due to a company named OpenAI.”
This means that the community agrees that the chances are slim and RAM prices are unlikely to recover in the near future. Nevertheless, most Reddit users believe that current prices are too high and users should look for alternatives: Memory is getting more expensive: We have looked at the best options for affordable RAM
