Memory has quietly become one of the most volatile components in any computer purchase. According to Tom’s Hardware’s ongoing U.S. price tracker, last updated August 3, 2026, a 32GB DDR5-5600 memory kit that historically sold for around $70 to $100 now carries a best available price of $379. A 64GB DDR5-6000 kit that once cost roughly $159 now runs $826, and a 128GB DDR5-6400 kit priced at $329 not long ago has climbed to $2,199. DDR4 memory, often seen as a fallback for older systems, hasn’t been spared either — prices there have also doubled to tripled over the same stretch.

These aren’t isolated spikes tied to a single retailer or a temporary shortage. Prices are fluctuating significantly day to day, and truly good deals tend to sell out within seconds, according to Tom’s Hardware’s tracking data, which makes timing nearly as important as budget when shopping for memory right now.

Why AI Is Driving the Shortage

The root cause is a shift in what memory manufacturers are choosing to build. Companies like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have been reallocating production capacity away from conventional consumer DDR4 and DDR5 chips and toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is used in AI accelerators and data center hardware. HBM commands significantly higher margins than standard consumer memory, and every wafer redirected to it is one less wafer available for the RAM that goes into everyday laptops and desktops.

Because new memory fabrication plants take years to plan and build, this isn’t a supply crunch that resolves itself in a quarter or two. Industry analysts widely describe it as a structural reallocation of capacity rather than a normal boom-and-bust cycle, meaning elevated pricing is expected to persist well into 2027, with some forecasts extending the timeline even further.

How This Is Showing Up in Laptop Prices

The effect on finished products has been significant and well-documented. According to industry reporting on manufacturer pricing changes, laptops from major brands including Dell, HP, and Lenovo have risen between 15% and 30% so far in 2026, driven mainly by memory and storage cost inflation. Memory now accounts for roughly 35% of a typical laptop’s manufacturing cost, up from a historical range of 16% to 20% — a shift big enough that it shows up directly on price tags rather than being absorbed by manufacturers.

Gaming and workstation laptops, which typically ship with larger amounts of RAM, have felt the impact most acutely, with high-end configurations seeing price increases as steep as 30%. Some manufacturers have also delayed new laptop launches or redesigned upcoming models around smaller memory configurations specifically to keep sticker prices from climbing even further.

Is There Any Relief in Sight

There have been small signs of stabilization. A March 2026 TrendForce report noted a pullback in DDR5 retail prices across the U.S., China, and Europe, and cited one analyst’s expectation that 16GB DDR5 module prices could “normalize” by the end of 2026 — though that forecast was specific to the Chinese market, and most other analysts expect meaningful relief no earlier than 2027, with some projecting into 2028 or later. For now, the more consistent message from manufacturers and analysts alike is that buyers should expect continued volatility rather than a quick return to 2025-era pricing.

What Buyers Should Know Before Shopping for a Laptop

If you’re planning to buy a new laptop or upgrade an existing one, the practical takeaway is straightforward: memory-heavy configurations cost meaningfully more than they did a year ago, and that gap is unlikely to close soon. Buying only the RAM capacity you actually need, rather than over-provisioning “just in case,” is a reasonable way to control costs in the current market. For anyone with flexibility on timing, there’s no strong evidence that waiting will make things cheaper — most current forecasts point toward continued high prices well into next year rather than a near-term price drop.