AI Boom Turns RAM Into a Luxury Item

RAM prices have surged over the past 18 months due to AI-driven demand, with major makers Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron diverting wafers to high-end HBM for AI workloads; consumer RAM like 16GB DDR5-4800 has risen from under $100 to over $400, while 32GB DDR5-6000 has jumped from about $250 to more than $1,200. Analysts warn relief is unlikely until at least 2027–2030 as capacity remains tight and new factories take years to come online; AI data centers are absorbing a large share of global RAM, with little surplus for consumer markets.