Memory price surge tipped to continue

Memory prices are set to climb sharply again, with Counterpoint Research projecting a 40% to 50% jump this quarter on top of similar increases in the final quarter of 2025.

Prices for key components such as 64GB RDIMM have already leapt from $255 in Q3 2025 to $450 in Q4, and are expected to hit $700 by March. Counterpoint says chip suppliers now hold unusual pricing power, as demand for AI and server capacity soaks up production and manufacturers including Samsung, SK Hynix and China’s CXMT shift away from older technologies toward higher-margin server DDR5. DRAM output is forecast to grow 24% year-on-year in 2026, but new capacity will lag demand, keeping prices high. Some smartphone makers are already cutting component specifications in selected models to cope with rising memory costs.