Memory prices experienced a significant increase in late October and early November of 2025, following over a year of advance warnings. While companies may have anticipated this trend, most consumers were caught off guard. Since then, overall PC sales have declined due to the high cost of memory, yet it continues to be sold at inflated prices. This is just the beginning, as memory prices are expected to continue their upward trajectory, with TrendForce warning that they will double by 2027.
During the 2025 holiday season, many individuals considered purchasing or upgrading their PCs, but the high cost deterred most from proceeding. Computers are no longer as affordable as they once were; a mid-range PC could previously be obtained for around 700 euros, and a high-end system for just over 1,000 euros. That era, when high-end GPUs cost 500 euros and affordable RAM was readily available, has passed. This crucial component has transformed from one of the cheapest to one of the most expensive, with prices now skyrocketing.
Memory Prices Continue to Rise: TrendForce Predicts Doubling by 2027
If the prospect of paying three to four times more for memory than a year ago was already daunting, prepare for further challenges. Several manufacturers had previously indicated that prices would continue to climb and would not normalize until 2028. What was unexpected was the significant surge in 2026, with prices set to double by 2027, according to MyDrivers. It remains unclear whether this will equally affect DDR5 RAM, GDDR6/GDDR7 for graphics cards, and NAND Flash for SSDs, as the news primarily concerns HBM.
According to TrendForce, HBM prices are predicted to increase substantially in 2027. The firm notes that memory manufacturers are leveraging the current DRAM scarcity to drive up prices. TrendForce reports that HBM revenue for GPUs has fallen in Q1 2026, dropping below that of 64GB DDR5 RDIMM modules used in data centers. This creates a market dynamic that further incentivizes RAM sales, with demand continuing to rise and now, compounding the issue, HBM prices are also increasing in pursuit of greater profits.
TrendForce has published several graphs, one of which illustrates its sales forecast for DRAM and NAND Flash. This forecast shows a substantial increase of +296% in 2026 compared to 2025, and a 44% increase in 2027 for both DRAM and NAND Flash.
China Already Holds 13% NAND Market Share with YMTC, Matching Micron and SanDisk
No one is immune to the scarcity, as the AI industry’s demand far exceeds current production capacity and supply, leading to continued price hikes. All eyes are now on China, which many consider the ‘savior’ in this market flooded with expensive RAM. However, it’s not to be viewed as a benevolent entity offering memory at affordable prices for the masses; rather, it will adapt and capitalize on the high demand and prices. By offering memory at a lower cost than its rivals while providing similar performance, China is poised to capture a significant portion of the market.
This has indeed been the case. Examining the period from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026 as reported by Counterpoint Research, YMTC has grown from 8% to 13%, a remarkable 445% increase in one year, now leveling with Micron and SanDisk. This demonstrates China’s potential to disrupt the current memory market. YMTC is now only 1% away from reaching Kioxia, the third most popular manufacturer globally.
