RAM is still getting more expensive, and Black Friday is five weeks away.
PC Gamer updated its memory shortage tracker on October 20, 2026. It reports that a 32GB Crucial Pro DDR5-6000 kit, which sat at about $80 to $100 for most of 2024 and 2025, was listed at $553. That is more than five times the old price. On October 22, Engadget reported that global PC shipments fell 21% year over year in the third quarter, with memory costs one of the reasons.
So should you buy now or wait? Here is what we know, what we do not, and how to decide.
Key dates and numbers
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Late 2025 | DDR5 retail prices start to climb, climbing steeply from autumn 2025 (PC Gamer, citing PCPartPicker charts) |
| January 8, 2026 | TechRadar reports TrendForce expects DRAM contract prices to rise about 55 to 60% in Q1 2026 |
| September 30, 2026 | Micron says memory supply will be significantly tighter in 2027 and 2028 than in 2026 |
| October 20, 2026 | PC Gamer lists a 32GB DDR5-6000 kit at $553; TrendForce is reported to expect about 20% higher DRAM contract prices in Q4 2026 |
| October 22, 2026 | Engadget reports PC shipments down 21% in Q3 2026 |
| November 27, 2026 | Black Friday |
| Mid-2027 to early 2028 | Earliest points where some executives expect relief (see below) |
Two notes on the numbers. TrendForce talks about contract prices, which are what big buyers pay. Shop prices can move differently. Also, sources disagree on the Q4 forecast. A September 30 report citing TrendForce said 10 to 15% for conventional DRAM, and a later summary dated October 20 said about 20%. We could only check the later one through a secondary site, so treat it as a rough guide.
The kits people are looking at
These are three popular 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 kits. We left prices out because they change every day. Check the current price before you decide.
| Corsair Vengeance DDR5 | Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 | Crucial Pro DDR5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 32GB (2x16GB) | 32GB (2x16GB) | 32GB (2x16GB) |
| Speed | Up to 6000MHz | Up to 6000MHz | 6000MHz |
| Latency | Not listed on the product page | CL30-36-36-76 | CL36 |
| RGB lighting | No | Yes (ten-zone) | No |
| Profiles | Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO | Intel XMP and AMD EXPO | Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO |
Lower CL numbers mean slightly faster response, but in games the difference between CL30 and CL36 is small. For most people, capacity and price matter more.
Why RAM got so expensive
The main cause is AI. AI servers need a lot of memory, and the same factories make the memory for servers and for PCs. When makers shift more output to data centres, less is left for everything else.
- Micron reported record results for its fiscal year 2026, with revenue of $133.2 billion. It said it expects memory supply to be "significantly tighter" in calendar 2027 and 2028 than in 2026.
- Long-term deals matter too. PC Gamer reports that most of Samsung's data centre memory for 2027 is already sold, which leaves less room for PC buyers.
- DDR4 is not a safe fallback. PC Gamer notes that DDR4 makers are winding production down, and a 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4-3200 kit rose from about $50 in 2024 to $258 in its latest update.
- PC demand is falling. Counterpoint, quoted by Engadget, expects shipments to drop about 27% in Q4 2026 and calls 2027 "more of the same."
What could change
Nobody agrees on how long this lasts. PC Gamer's roundup shows the range.
- Acer's CEO is reported to expect prices to drop around the middle of 2027.
- A former Samsung semiconductor head said new Chinese capacity could cause a supply surge in the second half of 2027 or early 2028.
- SK hynix has warned of under-supply beyond 2030, and Micron says it has no clear date for when supply catches up.
- Slower AI spending could ease demand, but that has not happened yet.
Which should you buy?
The short answer: Black Friday may bring a few discounts, but it is unlikely to bring prices back to 2025 levels.
- Buy now if your PC is broken, you are building a new one and cannot wait, or you work on large files and 16GB is holding you back. Waiting five weeks is unlikely to save much, and prices are still rising.
- Wait if your current PC runs fine, or you only want to upgrade for a nicer spec sheet. Watch the Black Friday deals on November 27 and have a price limit ready. If a kit drops below what you see today, buy it. If not, keep waiting.
- Consider 16GB or DDR4 if you play mainstream games and browse. A single 16GB DDR5 kit costs far less than 32GB. If your motherboard still uses DDR4, upgrading within DDR4 avoids a new motherboard, but DDR4 prices have also jumped, so compare the total cost first.
- Skip bundles and unknown brands. Stick to kits sold new by the brand or Amazon, and check that the kit matches your motherboard (DDR4 and DDR5 do not fit the same slot).
If you are buying a new SSD too, our best NVMe SSDs guide covers the current options. Memory chips for SSDs are affected by the same shortage. For other price drops, see our deals page.
Other tech news this week
- Micron posted fiscal 2026 revenue of $133.2 billion, up 256% year over year, with DRAM revenue above $100 billion for the first time, according to TrendForce News.
- Google's Googlebook laptops went on sale in the U.S. on October 4. See our Googlebook comparison.
- Verizon will charge $10 a month for iPhone Handoff, according to Engadget. See our iPhone Handoff carrier comparison.
Sources
- PC Gamer: Why PC hardware costs more than ever (updated October 20, 2026)
- Engadget: PC shipments are in the toilet, plunging over 20 percent from last year
- TechRadar: 2026 could see $500 32GB DDR5 memory as DRAM prices keep rising
- TrendForce News: Micron FY2026 revenue surges 256% to $133.2B
- StockHub: TrendForce 4Q26 DRAM contract price summary (secondary source)
- Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB listing on Amazon
- Crucial Pro DDR5 32GB listing on Amazon
Image: Samsung DDR5 DRAM chips on a memory module, via Samsung and PC Gamer.
