RAM prices are so out of control that stores are selling it like lobster
Michael Crider’s title on PCWorld Today perfectly illustrates just how ridiculous the PC memory shortage has become: Stores like Central Computers in the San Francisco Bay Area are starting to sell RAM at market prices, as if you were paying for the catch of the day at a seafood restaurant.
“Costs fluctuate daily as manufacturers and distributors adapt to limited supply and high demand,” reads a message posted in the store window, spotted by Steve Lin. “For this reason, we cannot display fixed prices at this time.”
Micro Center apparently does the same: “Due to market volatility, we ask that you consult a seller for pricing,” reads an in-store post captured by Redditor CassTexas (via Tom’s material).
It’s hard to overstate how quickly the RAM crisis is changing computer affordability – and it could soon impact other areas as well, as everything from games consoles to smartphones require RAM to run.
Three months ago yesterday I purchased 32GB of memory for my gaming PC and the price of this particular kit has more than tripled since then. It now costs $300 more. ($440 versus $130, in case you’re curious; a more common version of the same kit went from $105 to $400.) Some prices have doubled since October, and while you can still find 32GB kits for as little as $230, a 64GB DDR5 kit can easily cost you $700, $800, or even $900.
Leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead claims that Microsoft may have to raise Xbox prices again to compensate, but that Sony has stockpiled enough RAM to last the PS5 for several months.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says it may take years for high-end games to recover from the RAM crisis, because of AI. He claims that “factories are diverting peak DRAM capacity to meet AI needs, where data centers are bidding far higher than consumer device makers.”
