- A new report reveals that spot prices of DDR4 have risen by 172% since September 2024.
- The DDR5 prices have also hiked sharply by 76%, as per the early 2026 market conditions.
- The contract prices are expected to catch up soon as short-term supplies get more expensive.
The memory apocalypse is not letting up anytime soon, according to the grim predictions by various experts in the industry. Both DRAM and NAND modules are experiencing a short supply and increased prices, which have made consumer products like DDR5 RAM kits quite costly.
However, new research now reveals that even DDR4 memory is about to explode in prices, possibly even more wildly than what DDR5 experienced in the past few months.
Why it matters: The escalating DRAM prices will soon trickle down to consumers in the form of high-end RAM kits as the memory crisis gets worse in the future. Therefore, even DDR4 RAM would become extremely expensive due to its rising spot prices.
According to Goldman Sachs’ latest report, the spot prices of DDR4 chips have risen by 172% since September 2024 compared to contract prices; spot prices refer to the immediate cost of modules not tied to long-term contracts.
Meanwhile, DDR5 spot prices have rebounded by 76% since January 2026 after sharp hikes last year. This staggering increase reflects a short-term supply drought as buyers attempt to hog as much of the DDR4 and DDR5 stock as possible.
These spot prices show an upward trend, which will sharply affect the DRAM contract prices soon. The extreme gap between spot and contract prices has been labeled a ‘scissors difference’ by Goldman, which has proven to be disastrous and unsustainable in the past.
At the end, these price hikes will trickle to consumer products across DDR4 and DDR5 configurations.
Even discounted 64GB DDR5 RAM kits have become more expensive than PS5 consoles, but no one expected DDR4 RAM to also suffer massive price hikes.
On a side note, past reports revealed that DRAM demand is expected to surge by 23% this year, as 70% of the memory modules made in 2026 will be consumed by data centers.
Do you think DDR4 memory kits will no longer remain affordable for the majority of gamers in the near future? Is DDR3 our only feasible option left? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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