High RAM prices mean record-setting profits for Samsung and other memory makers
Supply shortages and sharp price increases for RAM and storage have been a major drag for PC enthusiasts and builders in recent months. And while we haven’t yet seen large, widespread price increases for memory-dependent products like pre-built laptops, smartphones, and graphics cards, most companies expect that to change this year if shortages persist.
Meanwhile, memory makers are taking advantage of strong demand and high prices to book profits.
In its revenue forecast released this week, Samsung Electronics expects operating profit of between 19.9 trillion and 20.1 trillion Korean won (about $13.8 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from just 6.49 trillion won in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Of course, Samsung is more than just a memory company, but its fortunes often rise and fall along with its memory division; Samsung’s profits fell dramatically in 2023, partly due to a oversupply of memory which caused its memory division to lose billions of dollars.
Less diversified companies that primarily make memory are also raking in money lately. SK Hynix recorded its “highest quarterly performance ever” in the third quarter of 2025 with 11.38 trillion Korean won (about $7.8 billion) in operating profit, up from 7.03 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, and an operating margin that increased from 40% to 47%. SK Hynix attributes its performance to “increasing investment in AI infrastructure” and “growing demand for AI servers.”
Micron, which recently decided to exit the consumer RAM and storage markets but continues to sell its products to other companies, also reported a sharp year-over-year increase in net income, from $1.87 billion in the first quarter of 2025 to $5.24 billion in the first quarter of 2026. This generated the company’s “highest free cash flow on record.”
“Total company revenues, DRAM and NAND revenues, as well as HBM and data center revenues and revenues from each of our business units, also reached new records. [in fiscal Q1]”wrote Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron.
Why is RAM so expensive right now?
Reading these optimistic reports and earnings forecasts will be little comfort to people trying to build or upgrade a PC, who have seen the price of a 32GB DDR5-6000 kit drop from $80 in August 2025 to $340 today. And if the current AI boom continues, it is unlikely to improve in the short term.
