I'm building a PC and need 32GB of DDR5 memory. In less than a month, the price I'm seeing has climbed from about €300 to €600. I'd ideally wait until Black Friday to buy the other components, but I'm worried RAM prices could rise even further before then. Is it smarter to buy the memory now, or is there a realistic chance prices will drop by Black Friday?
5 Answers
If you’re flexible, consider delaying the entire build or temporarily choosing a platform with cheaper memory. But if DDR5 is required and the rest of the parts are already planned, buying a reasonably priced 32GB kit now may be less painful than waiting and watching it become even more expensive.
If you need the PC soon and can afford the current price, buying now is the safer choice. Memory prices have been extremely unpredictable, and waiting could save money, but it could just as easily cost you another 30% or more. Don’t borrow money for it unless the computer is essential for your work.
I wouldn’t count on Black Friday bringing a major discount on standalone RAM. Historically, the best deals are often on complete systems or selected bundles, not necessarily the exact memory kit you need. Compare several retailers and watch for short-term sales, but set a maximum price you’re comfortable paying.
Make sure you actually need 32GB before paying a huge premium, and check whether a different speed or brand offers better value. For gaming and normal use, 32GB is usually enough; creative applications such as video editing or After Effects can justify more, but they also make the memory cost harder to avoid.
The recent price increases appear tied to broader memory supply pressure, including demand from AI and data-center hardware. Nobody can reliably predict when that will ease, so there may be a small chance of a dip, but I wouldn’t build a purchase plan around prices returning to €200 soon.
I’m sticking with DDR5 because I want the newer platform and don’t want to rebuild around older hardware just to save on memory.