DRAM Surge Outpaces Gold
AI demand spikes DRAM 171% YoY, DDR5 doubles—time to delay your 2025 PC build?
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Due to the booming demand in the AI industry, DRAM prices continue to soar. The China Electronic Economic Center (CTEE) report shows that as of the third quarter of 2025, DRAM contract prices have risen by as much as 171.8% year-over-year. In fact, the increase in DRAM prices has surpassed the recent rise in gold prices. According to reports, ADATA Chairman Simon Chen stated that the fourth quarter of 2025 will mark the beginning of a DRAM bull market, and 2026 may see severe DRAM shortages.
In 2025, the sharp rise in memory prices has been a topic of widespread industry attention. In late October, we reported that memory prices in the fourth quarter of 2025 would increase by up to 50%, far exceeding the 30% predicted by buyers earlier in the year. As early as September, we reported that NAND and DRAM contract prices had risen by 15% to 20%. All these factors (and more) ultimately led to DRAM contract prices soaring 171.8% year-over-year. These price increases take time to fully reflect in retail prices, but the rises we’re seeing in the market now will only continue.
