The Great RAM-pocalypse of 25’

The global PC hardware market in 2025 is facing a severe RAM shortage, and the effects are rippling across the gaming PC sector. What was once a relatively stable component market has become unpredictable, with price spikes, tightening supplies, and strategic industry shifts reshaping how gamers and builders source memory and storage. The shortage has been driven by a dramatic surge in demand from artificial intelligence (AI) companies and data center build-outs, which are absorbing large portions of available DRAM and related memory products at the expense of traditional consumer channels.

How Manufacturers have been Responding

The Verge recently reported on how leading RAM manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are reallocating production capacity toward lucrative AI and enterprise customers. This shift has tightened the supply of consumer-grade RAM, particularly DDR5 modules used in gaming PCs, and contributed to significant price increases over the past 3 months. Higher memory costs have even begun affecting other products like single-board computers because of the memory price surge.

A major catalyst in this evolving memory ecosystem has recently been Micron’s decision to exit the consumer memory business – including its long-standing Crucial brand – to prioritize AI and data center markets. Micron’s official announcement indicates that shipments of Crucial-branded RAM and SSDs will continue only through February 2026, after which the consumer memory lineup will no longer be available. This strategic pivot reflects the intense demand for memory from AI workloads and a broader industry shift toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for advanced computing applications.

How We Have Been Affected

For gaming PC builders and retailers such as RB Tech and Games in Lahore, Pakistan, these developments represent more than just headlines. As a local retailer serving gamers and PC enthusiasts, we are directly experiencing the consequences of supply constraints and price volatility in both RAM and SSD inventories. Components that were once readily available at predictable prices are now subject to significant markups or outright stock shortages. This has made it extremely challenging to maintain stable pricing and meet customer demand while remaining competitive in the local market.

In recent months, RAM prices have soared – with some mainstream modules seeing steep increases – and SSD availability has tightened as memory manufacturers retool factories for prioritized production. These trends have forced many small- to medium-sized computer stores in Pakistan and around the world to adjust their purchasing strategies, often paying premiums to secure limited stock. For instance, ADATA 16GB 16×1 5600MHZ Value Ram Sticks, that we used to retail for about 12.5-14.5K have starting costing us 37-38K. You read that right – COST, not retail.

What Can We Recommend?

Given the current market conditions, we over at RB Tech and Games recommend that consumers delay non-urgent upgrades or custom builds. With Micron leaving the consumer segment and both Samsung and SK Hynix prioritizing enterprise memory contracts, we project continued pricing pressure into early-to-mid 2026. It’s possible that as AI infrastructure build-outs stabilize and new production capacity comes online, component prices may begin to ease – potentially offering relief and greater availability by mid-2026. Until then, holding off on major RAM and SSD upgrades can help our buyers avoid paying inflated prices for parts that might be more accessible later.