Hardware prices have been a hot topic of discussion lately, largely focused on recent RAM price hikes that have affected the consumer market. Much of the blame is being placed on AI firms, which continue to claim much of the world’s supply of DRAM, as well as NAND technology for storage. And now, a report claims that Samsung has hiked the price of its server chips from anywhere from 30% to 60%.

Data infrastructure firms are facing these steep price hikes as a result of the heavy demand for memory as of late. The shortages have also affected the GPU sector, with Nvidia said to have postponed or potentially canceled its RTX 50 Super launch, while its board partners continue to wait for finalized specs.

Samsung raises DDR5 RAM prices by up to 60%

This news comes from Reuters and reveals that the price of 32GB DDR5 memory chip modules jumped from $149 in September to $239 in the following month. That’s a whopping 60% price increase; the price of 16GB and 128GB modules jumped by about 50%, while 64GB and 96GB DDR5 memory was up by more than 30%.

Tobey Gonnerman, president of distributor Fusion Worldwide, is quoted as saying that many of the largest server and data center builders are “now accepting that they won’t get nearly enough product. The price premiums being paid are extreme.” Despite the shortages, Samsung is benefiting from the inflated prices, especially as the South Korean tech giant has previously lagged behind rival brands such as SK Hynix and Micron. It’s worth pointing out that both Samsung and SK Hynix recently partnered with OpenAI to deliver memory chips to the ChatGPT creator as part of its Stargate initiative.

“They [Samsung] are really confident that the price is going to increase. And the main reason is that now the demand is really strong, and everyone is working on long-term agreements with the suppliers.”

Ellie Wang, TrendForce analyst

PC enthusiasts have been heavily affected by the supply issues, which have caused the price of both DDR5 RAM and DDR4 RAM to skyrocket.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.