RAM price crisis LIVE — latest updates on massive memory price surge, expert advice and more
Here's all you need to know about RAMageddon
What if the AI bubble bursts?
Many companies and people in general speak about a future run by AI as an inevitability, but what if AI might be a bubble? With all the vendor financing agreements and promises of making money in exchange for burning a whole lot of cash. OpenAI has made $1.5 trillion in chip commitments, while Reuters reports the company has made $12 billion in annual revenue this year.
That’s a big tab, and very bubble-ish in our estimation. So what would happen if all of this money is spent but companies and investors get a reality check that AI won't deliver the future some have predicted? What happens if the return on investment in this AI rollout doesn’t materialize?
Well, two things happen. First, tech companies will slam the brakes on new data center construction and AI scaling. The demand for DRAM and NAND chips will dry up overnight. And second, that will leave warehouses absolutely packed with stock that companies are desperate to sell. At that point, the prices come crashing down to get rid of them all. It will be a systemic shock to the whole industry, and a sharp, severe, rapid end to the RAM pricing crisis. But that's just one possible scenario.
Some great laptop deals to beat the RAMageddon blues
With RAM prices continuing to rise, now is the time to take advantage of laptop deals. Below are three laptop deals we recommend you consider, as these prices might not last much longer.
- Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4/256GB): was $999 now $799 at Amazon
- Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI (RTX 5070 Ti): was $1,899 now $1,499 at Best Buy
- Asus Zenbook A14: was $749 now $675 at Amazon
Framework slams Dell: Won't 'gouge customers' amid RAM crisis
Framework has called out the likes of Dell and Apple for the huge cost bump between RAM configurations. In a post on X (which appears to have been deleted), the modular laptop maker announced that it will "need to increase memory pricing soon." Now, Framework has announced its own DDR5 RAM price increase of 50%.
"We increased our pricing on the DDR5 memory configurable in Framework Laptop DIY Edition orders by 50% to begin to respond to the substantially higher costs we are facing from suppliers and distributors," Framework states. "The new pricing remains below what is available in the open market."
This comes as no surprise, considering other major laptop makers like Dell and Lenovo are also looking to raise prices. However, Framework started the post with a screenshot of its RAM configuration prices when buying one of its laptops, like the Framework 13 or Framework 16, stating that an upgrade from 16GB to 32GB is $80.
"We won’t use this as an excuse to gouge customers like Dell apparently has and that Apple does as their norm," Framework commented.
It is now cheaper to buy a pre-built gaming PC than building one yourself
For the first time since we can remember, it’s actually cheaper to get a pre-built PC than it is to build it yourself. It comes down to one key thing: stock. Most retailers and computing brands will have these ready-made and good to go from their warehouses — using the stockpile of RAM and SSDs they already have on their books.
A lot of companies saw this starting to happen and managed to get their orders in early enough to keep themselves sort of protected from what’s happening now, which is why you see the price differential. If you were to buy parts now, you’re buying at the current market price.
Going the DIY route used to be the lower-cost way, because the added cost of the company building it is removed (you build it yourself after all). But the massively rising cost of RAM has brought it to the point where the time to build it yourself is actually more expensive than just getting someone else to do it for you.
RAMageddon is coming for your smartphones and laptops
Up to this point, the ongoing RAM crisis has been limited to purchasable consumer memory, but it was inevitable that RAMageddon would eventually impact more technology. A new analyst report from TrendForce, the market intelligence and consulting firm, claims that the memory price surge will affect smartphone and laptop manufacturers heading into 2026.
Consequently, according to the report, smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung will likely raise prices while reducing RAM capacity. It could also lead to a reduction in the number of devices actually produced by these companies.
Welcome to the RAMageddon live blog!
Hello, everyone! With RAM prices out of control, we're here to keep you updated on all the latest RAM pricing news and developments. Be sure to bookmark this page so you don't miss out. As we said in the intro, we'll have the latest updates, insight from industry insiders, and our own thoughts on this ongoing situation.
