2026 RAM & Storage Prices

Video Description

RAM and SSD prices are expected to increase significantly in 2026, with hard drives prices also on the rise. In this video I give my take on where we are, how we got here, my predictions for 2026, and the wider implications for end users and the computing industry. REFERENCES: Sources shown and otherwise used in the preparation of this video include: Memory price surge to persist, TrendForce, 11 December 2025: https://www.trendforce.com/presscenter/news/20251211-12831.html DDR4 production to end, Tom’s Hardware, 13 June 2025: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr4/the-end-of-an-era-ddr4-production-to-essentially-end-this-year-micron-the-final-domino-to-fall Samsung extends DDR4 production, Notebook Check, 24 December 2025: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-extends-DDR4-RAM-production-but-high-memory-prices-and-shortage-likely-to-continue.1192023.0.html DDR EOL Extended, Tom’s Hardware, 24 December 2025: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr4/samsung-to-delay-its-planned-ddr4-end-of-life-due-to-signing-a-long-term-non-cancellable-non-returnable-contract-with-key-customer-agreement-will-not-alleviate-consumer-shortage-supply-earmarked-for-server-clients Micron press release on exit from consumer market, 3 December 2025: https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business Manufacturers panic buying RAM, Tom’s Hardware, 16 November 2025: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/dram/asus-msi-other-manufacturers-panic-buying-ram-stocks-while-major-memory-chipmakers-rake-in-profits-massive-demand-for-hbm-and-rdimm-for-data-centers-driving-shortage Why RAM prices are surging in 2025, Acer, 16 December 2025: https://blog.acer.com/en/discussion/3821/why-ram-prices-are-surging-in-2025-what-s-really-driving-the-spike Why RAM is so expensive right now, Tech Radar, 18 December 2025: https://www.techradar.com/pro/why-is-ram-so-expensive-right-now-its-more-complicated-than-you-think Memory Spot Price Update, TrendForce News, 19 November 2025: https://www.trendforce.com/news/2025/11/19/insights-memory-spot-price-update-ddr5-prices-up-307-since-september-as-module-costs-poised-to-surge/ Samsung reallocates NAND manufacturing to DRAM, TechPowerUp, 20 November 2025: https://www.techpowerup.com/343119/samsung-reallocates-nand-production-to-dram-across-korean-fabs NAND flash faces dry year in 2026: TrendForces news, 10 December 2025: https://www.trendforce.com/news/2025/12/10/news-nand-flash-dry-year-looms-as-stock-out-risk-reportedly-forces-pc-oems-to-cut-ssd-specs/ Phison CEO confirms NAND flash price increases, Tom’s Hardware, 10 November 2025: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/phison-ceo-confirms-nand-prices-have-more-than-doubled-and-will-continue-to-rise-all-2026-production-already-sold-out-ssds-facing-pricing-apocalypse-throughout-2027 Kingston on 246% increase in NAND wafer prices, PC Gamer, 17 December 2025: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/kingston-sounds-the-ssd-pricing-alarm-as-the-company-has-seen-a-246-percent-increase-in-nand-wafer-prices-with-the-biggest-increase-within-the-last-60-days/ Hard drive prices spike, Tom’s Hardware, 15 December 2025: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/hdds/hdd-prices-spike-as-ai-infrastructure-and-chinas-pc-push-collide-hard-drives-record-biggest-price-increase-in-eight-quarters-suppliers-warn-pressure-will-continue Samsung doubles DDR5 contract price, TechRadar, 16 December 2025: https://www.techradar.com/computing/memory/fresh-ram-woes-emerge-in-the-form-of-a-rumor-that-samsung-has-doubled-the-cost-of-ddr5 Google fires execs who failed to secure RAM, Android Headlines, 26 December 2025: https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/12/google-fires-executives-ai-memory-shortage.html AWS AI homepage: https://aws.amazon.com/ai/ Google “Gemini for Work” AI homepage: https://cloud.google.com/ai/gemini-for-work Microsoft CoPilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ Micron invests in AI memory plant in Japan, Reuters, 29 November 2025: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/micron-invest-96-billion-japan-build-ai-memory-chip-plant-nikkei-reports-2025-11-29/ Samsung boosts DRAM production, Business Korea, 20 November 2025: https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=256998 Critical memory alert: DDR4 EOL, Contec, 29 July 2025: https://us.contec.com/en-th/blogs/news/critical-memory-alert-ddr4-end-of-life-impact-on-industrial-computing More videos on computing and related topics can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/@ExplainingComputers And more videos on film and other making, plus retro tech, can be found on my Christopher Barnatt channel: http://www.youtube.com/@ChristopherBarnatt Chapters: 00:00 Titles & Intro 00:43 RAM Prices Rises 06:13 Storage Price Rises 08:26 The Year Ahead 10:16 Implications 12:32 Wrap #RAM#prices #storage #SSD #HDD #2026 #ExplainingComputers