I've been planning to build a new PC in the next couple of months, but I've just noticed that RAM prices have skyrocketed. The cost of 16GB and 32GB modules has doubled since I started making my plans, which seems really unrealistic. I'm wondering what my options are now. Is there any chance these prices will improve, or is it going to get worse?
5 Answers
Honestly, things don't look great. Some forecasts suggest that RAM prices might not improve until 2027 or even 2028. If you're on a budget, you might want to hold off for now.
I remember when prices shot up after the 2004 tsunami; everybody thought they had to get used to the new high prices, but eventually, costs normalized. I’m holding out for better prices, maybe beginning of 2027. Meanwhile, I'll just keep playing games on what I have.
To be honest, no one really knows how this will play out. It might get a little better in the next six months, but it could stay bad for a while. If you really need RAM, just buy what fits your budget; not having a computer could be worse.
Building a high-end PC has always been a gamble with pricing. Each time I've upgraded, I ended up paying more than the original MSRP. With current RAM prices around $400 for 32GB, you just need to decide if you want to pay the premium or wait it out.
Yeah, it’s pretty rough out there. Prices are going up, and if you can hold off building, I’d recommend doing that. You might want to consider buying a prebuilt system that you can upgrade later instead.
That sounds like a solid plan! Prebuilts can be a good way to get around these crazy prices.