Ever wondered why your PC feels slow lately? You probably did - right until you checked RAM prices and decided ignorance is cheaper. Welcome to late 2025, where a “normal” memory upgrade can cost as much as a whole game console, and the market has officially entered the “is this satire?” phase.
This is the timeline where RAM became a luxury good.
Numbers That Hurt
Let’s get the painful part out of the way: RAM prices have jumped fast. Multiple industry reports and retailers have been pointing to sharp DDR5 price increases and ongoing supply stress tied to data‑center demand and inventory constraints.
Some kits have seen increases that feel like they were calculated by a villain: not “a bit more expensive”, but “your upgrade budget is now a lifestyle choice”.
What You Can Buy Instead of 32GB
To keep things grounded, here’s a simple mental exercise: imagine you’re about to buy a solid 32GB DDR5 kit. Now imagine spending that same money on literally anything else that sparks joy.
Depending on where you live and current deals, that RAM money can look suspiciously close to:
- A game console sale price or a hefty chunk of one.
- Months of streaming subscriptions.
- Several restaurant outings.
- A small pile of “adult purchases” you’ll pretend were responsible, like a gym membership.
RAM has essentially become the PC equivalent of ordering guacamole: you want it, you need it, and you hate yourself for paying for it.
InZOI, But Make It “Paywall”
Now let’s talk about gaming. InZOI (and plenty of other modern, demanding PC games) sits firmly in the “12GB is the minimum, 16GB+ is the sane choice” territory for comfortable play. That used to be the easy part of building a PC - grab 16GB or 32GB and move on.
In 2025, upgrading from “it runs” to “it runs smoothly while Discord is open” can feel like paying a premium subscription to your own computer. Want to go from 16GB to 32GB so your city builder / life sim / modded everything doesn’t stutter? Congratulations: that’s now a meaningful financial decision.
When Even Micron Walks Away from Regular PC Users
As if all of this wasn’t enough, one of the long-time companions of independent PC builders has just quietly left the trail. In early December 2025, Micron announced it is exiting the consumer memory market entirely and shutting down its 29-year-old Crucial brand by February 2026. For decades, Crucial was the compass for DIY builders and those seeking the freedom to upgrade their own gear - the brand you chose when you wanted to explore performance without the constraints of overpaying.
Micron’s official explanation is a sign of the changing landscape: AI data centers offer more territory to conquer, and there isn’t enough capacity to serve everyone. The company says it needs to “improve support for larger, strategic customers”, which is corporate-speak for prioritizing the giants of the industry. For the individual user seeking independence from pre-built systems, the message is clear: you’re on your own.
Instead of providing the tools for individual discovery, Micron is redirecting its efforts to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and enterprise-grade servers - new frontiers that offer higher margins. With DRAM supply predicted to remain restricted until 2028, the road ahead for "normal people" looks increasingly blocked. One of the few big players that supported the independent spirit of hardware enthusiasts has officially flipped the sign to “Enterprise Only,” forcing them to find new paths to maintain their digital autonomy.
The Peak of Absurdity: Samsung Won’t Sell Memory to… Samsung
Here’s the plot twist that makes the whole crisis feel like corporate comedy: according to a report highlighted by WCCF TECH, Samsung’s memory division (Samsung Semiconductor) reportedly rejected an order for DRAM for smartphones from Samsung Electronics. Yes, it’s basically Samsung saying “no” to Samsung.
The reason is painfully logical: demand from big tech building AI data centers is so strong (and margins are so good) that suppliers prioritize those customers. Sometimes even over internal demand.
And the ripple effect is exactly what you’d expect: if memory costs and availability squeeze smartphone production, it can push prices up for consumers, with concerns raised that this could show up as early as upcoming flagship launches like the Galaxy S26 generation.
Why It’s Happening
The short version: Artificial Intelligence is eating all the memory in the world. The long version is even less comforting.
- Hyperscale data centers and AI clouds are soaking up almost every DRAM and HBM chip that manufacturers can produce.
- High‑bandwidth memory (HBM), used in GPUs for training AI models, is effectively sold out through late 2025 for major players like SK hynix and Micron.
- At the same time, manufacturers have wound down older DDR4 lines and shifted aggressively into DDR5 and premium server parts, reducing supply for budget‑oriented consumer modules.
If RAM felt like a normal PC component in 2022, in 2026 it’s starting to look more like a traded commodity: booked years in advance, allocated to whoever signs the biggest check, and only occasionally trickling down to everyday users.
