Software performance expert Daniel Lemire has found that computer memory prices have reverted to levels last seen in 2007, undoing roughly two decades of falling prices in just a few months. Third-party data from the Stanford DAM Project shows DDR5 memory currently priced between $11.41 and $13.28 per GB, matching DDR2 prices from 2008. Adjusted for inflation, current DDR5 pricing matches 2011-era DDR3 costs.
According to Tom's Hardware, the price spike stems not from a technological setback but from surging demand for HBM driven by the AI boom. Elon Musk said during a recent SpaceX earnings call that while memory output is increasing by about 20% per year, demand is rising by 200% per year or more. The chairman of SK Group, which owns SK hynix, has similarly described current RAM prices as "abnormally high" and said the industry must boost supply to bring prices down.
The shortage is already forcing hardware makers to scale back product specifications. Chinese mini PC maker AOOSTAR has relaunched its NEX395 workstation mini PC with 64GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, down from the original 128GB RAM and 2TB storage configuration, according to Wccftech citing IT Home. The downgraded version launched at 12,999 Yuan (about $1,926), roughly half the price of the original 19,999 Yuan ($2,963) configuration, though some retailers in China are selling it closer to 13,599 Yuan ($2,015).
Microsoft has also adjusted its public guidance in response to the crisis. The company removed previous recommendations from its Learning Center stating that 32GB of RAM was "ideal for serious players" running demanding titles or heavy mods, with the page now returning a 404 error, according to Wccftech, which cited an archived version found via the Wayback Machine. Microsoft's President of Windows and Devices, Pavan Davuluri, has said Windows 11 will become more memory-efficient going forward, though no timeline was given.
Separately, a Reddit user identified as "ExtensionPut2939" claims that an unnamed technology company is set to destroy more than 100 MacBook Pro units equipped with Apple's M4 chip and 48GB of unified memory, following an office closure and final round of layoffs, as reported by Wccftech. The Redditor argued there was no security justification for destroying the machines, since data could be securely wiped, and suggested donating them to laid-off employees would have been a better option. One commenter speculated the destruction could serve as a tax write-off against the layoffs. Wccftech noted that configuring a comparable 48GB unified memory M5 MacBook Pro today costs $3,099, up from a $1,999 base price.
Together, the reports illustrate how the AI-driven memory shortage is affecting the technology sector at multiple levels — from raw component pricing to the specifications of consumer devices, software guidance, and decisions about hardware disposal.