Samsung and other memory makers are reportedly leaving DDR5 memory buyers in suspense as prices are expected to raise by 30-50% every quarter from the end of 2025 through the first half of 2026.

Memory has been in a weird place lately. Increased demands resulting from the development of artificial intelligence, as well as the expansion of data centers, inventory shortages and the elimination of DDR4 memory have left the typical gamer caught in the rain.

Moreover, Samsung was reportedly expected to finalize memory pricing agreements by the end of October. According to industry sources interviewed, it currently appears they will not be finalized until mid-November Digital times.

Samsung delaying pricing for these contracts and informing customers of the lack of stock reportedly resulted in a 25% raise in the price of DDR in one week. SK Hynix and Micron are among other manufacturers that are said to not provide any company numbers to customers. A lack of transparency around memory prices could cause them to skyrocket and force companies to pay higher rates to secure the same supplies they would otherwise enjoy.

Just last week, 2GB DDR4-3200 modules averaged $25, and we saw a similar raise across the board. This reluctance to lock in prices is likely related to a sudden demand/storage shortage, with Digitimes reporting that Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron will likely only offer specific, quantifiable pricing to long-term partners and customers.

A general reluctance to provide customers with offers may lead them to look for other ways to obtain memory from third parties or other entities. This may then have a negative impact on price stability.

Technical analyst nvda-fy2026q1 reports that in addition to Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung not accepting customers until the end of the year, ADATA, Crucial, Corsair and G.Skill are reported to be reducing the number of up-to-date orders. The shortages are also linked to the supply of DRAM and NAND, which means some stores are supposedly freezing or limiting sales SSD and HDD drives, as well as memory.

This followed news from ADATA CEO Chen Libai confirming shortages of DRAM, SSD and HDD. According to Digitimes, the price of DDR5 memory is expected to raise by 30-50% each quarter by 2026, and the price for 16 GB of DDR5 memory will reach up to $30. Considering the same amount of memory was priced at less than a third of the price in September, this sets a troubling precedent.

Ultimately, with so many sources responsible for rising prices, it’s unclear whether this phenomenon will snail-paced down anytime soon, although it looks like memory makers won’t have any trouble selling their technology in the near future.

The best minicomputer 2025

Best gaming platforms 2025