Memory suppliers just blew a hole in the PC gaming industry – and they’re about to do the same to everything else. For weeks, PC enthusiasts have borne the brunt of skyrocketing memory prices, but the shockwaves will soon impact a wider range of products as suppliers pour resources into a far bigger and more lucrative endeavor: AI.
The biggest names in the AI industry are buying up DRAM memory for their sprawling data centers, and memory makers are prioritizing their demands over everyone else’s. DRAM is embedded “in every part of our digital society today,” Jeff Janukowicz, research VP at IDC, tells The Verge. That’s everything from laptops to smartphones, gaming consoles, smart TVs, cars, and even small amounts in solid-state drives (SSDs). “There’s a lot at stake,” he says.
Read Article >Micron is retiring the Crucial brand, marking the end of its line of budget-friendly solid-state drives (SSDs) and RAM kits, as reported earlier by VideoCardz. In an announcement on Wednesday, Micron says winding down its consumer-focused business will “improve supply and support for our larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments” — a.k.a. AI companies.
The brand’s shutdown is a huge blow for PC builders and hobbyists, who are already dealing with skyrocketing RAM prices linked to a surge in demand from AI companies. OpenAI, for example, struck a deal with SK Hynix and Samsung to make up to 900,000 DRAM per month for its Stargate project.
Read Article >Raspberry Pi is increasing the price of several single-board computers in an attempt to offset soaring memory costs. The updates are being applied immediately and affect Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5, with prices increasing by $5 to $25 depending on the model and amount of RAM. The 16GB memory variants of the Compute Module 5 are also being raised by $20, now starting at $140.
“The current pressure on memory prices, driven by competition from the AI infrastructure roll-out, is painful but ultimately temporary,” Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton said in the announcement. “We remain committed to driving down the cost of computing and look forward to unwinding these price increases once it abates.”
Read Article >The skyrocketing price of RAM is trickling down to custom PC makers, including CyberPowerPC and Maingear. On Wednesday, CyberPowerPC announced that it plans to adjust the pricing across all of its systems on December 7th, as reported earlier by PCMag.
“Recently, global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%,” CyberPowerPC says in a statement posted on X. “This has had a direct impact on the cost of building gaming PCs since 10/1/25.”
Read Article >Michael Crider’s headline at PCWorld today perfectly captures how ridiculous the PC memory shortage has become: stores like the San Francisco Bay Area’s Central Computers are beginning to sell RAM at market prices, like you’d pay for the catch-of-the-day at a seafood restaurant.
“Costs are fluctuating daily as manufacturers and distributors adjust to limited supply and high demand,” reads a message posted in the store’s display case, as spotted by Steve Lin. “Because of this, we can’t display fixed prices at this time.”
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