Dec 16 2025, 11:47 AM, updated 3d ago
QUOTE
Samsung has reportedly increased the contract price of DDR5 memory by over 100%. Claiming that there is no stock, the Korean Giant has pushed the contract price of DDR5 DRAM near $20. OEMs are likely to pass this price hike on to the consumers in 2026.
It appears the super-inflated DRAM pricing is here to stay, as Samsung has reportedly increased the DDR5 contract price by over 100%. This sudden increase has brought the DDR5 contract price to $19.2 per Jukan on X. Citing Taiwanese media reports, Jukan claims that Samsung informed “downstream customers”, or OEMs, that there is “no stock!”.
Not only has Samsung increased the DDR5 contract price, but the contract price of DDR4 DRAM has also followed suit. Jukan reports that contract pricing for 16 GB of DDR4 DRAM has jumped to $18. So, OEMs and customers looking towards DDR4 memory as a temporary, cost-effective solution may now have to face the same sort of price inflation as DDR5.
Finally, Taiwanese media also remarks that, contrary to expectations of a gradual pricing decrease, spot DDR5 memory prices have seen even worse inflation in December. DDR4 memory prices are also on the rise, with “no signs of resting”.
How will the increase in the DDR5 contract price affect consumers?
While Samsung's DDR5 contract price increase directly affects the OEMs buying memory chips at scale, the OEMs are likely to pass the burden on to the consumers. For instance, Lenovo could bump the price of its 2026 laptop lineup to account for the latest DDR5 pricing bump. Laptop makers could even reduce the amount of memory in entry-level SKUs to save costs. The same could be true for smartphone makers like Apple and even Samsung.
So, if you need a new phone, laptop, or desktop RAM urgently, it might be a good idea to buy what you need right now. We are expecting some major price hikes in Q1 2026, and things aren’t expected to improve until 2027.
It appears the super-inflated DRAM pricing is here to stay, as Samsung has reportedly increased the DDR5 contract price by over 100%. This sudden increase has brought the DDR5 contract price to $19.2 per Jukan on X. Citing Taiwanese media reports, Jukan claims that Samsung informed “downstream customers”, or OEMs, that there is “no stock!”.
Not only has Samsung increased the DDR5 contract price, but the contract price of DDR4 DRAM has also followed suit. Jukan reports that contract pricing for 16 GB of DDR4 DRAM has jumped to $18. So, OEMs and customers looking towards DDR4 memory as a temporary, cost-effective solution may now have to face the same sort of price inflation as DDR5.
Finally, Taiwanese media also remarks that, contrary to expectations of a gradual pricing decrease, spot DDR5 memory prices have seen even worse inflation in December. DDR4 memory prices are also on the rise, with “no signs of resting”.
How will the increase in the DDR5 contract price affect consumers?
While Samsung's DDR5 contract price increase directly affects the OEMs buying memory chips at scale, the OEMs are likely to pass the burden on to the consumers. For instance, Lenovo could bump the price of its 2026 laptop lineup to account for the latest DDR5 pricing bump. Laptop makers could even reduce the amount of memory in entry-level SKUs to save costs. The same could be true for smartphone makers like Apple and even Samsung.
So, if you need a new phone, laptop, or desktop RAM urgently, it might be a good idea to buy what you need right now. We are expecting some major price hikes in Q1 2026, and things aren’t expected to improve until 2027.
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