The RAM Scams & Price Inflation No One Saw Coming

What to know

• RAM prices have surged; 16GB DDR5 kits cost more, and 32GB/64GB kits can rival a gaming console.
• AI demand is driving the shortage, as memory makers prioritize high-speed chips for AI and data centers.
• Shortages may worsen in early 2026, raising PC prices and leading some systems to be sold without RAM.
• RAM scams are increasing, with cheap or older modules relabeled as premium DDR5—even on Amazon.

RAM prices have surged in recent months. A 16GB DDR5 stick that was once affordable now costs much more, and larger kits like 32GB or 64GB can even cost more than a full gaming console in some markets, comparable to PlayStation.

The main reason is AI. Memory makers are shifting production to high-speed chips made for AI, leaving less supply for regular PCs and phones. Big AI and cloud customers book memory years ahead, lowering the supply for consumers and driving up laptop, tablet, and phone prices, a trend expected to continue.

The RAM shortage may worsen in early 2026, keeping prices high. With new factories years away, supply won’t improve until 2027–2028, causing PC prices to rise and some systems to be sold without RAM, forcing buyers to pay extra.

And if that wasn't enough, RAM scams are on the rise, with sellers disguising cheap, low-quality modules as premium kits using fake labels or swapped heatspreaders, then selling them at high prices with false speed claims. Even major platforms like Amazon have seen incidents where buyers ordered DDR5 kits but received older or incompatible RAM in seemingly sealed boxes, highlighting how high prices and shortages are being exploited, even on trusted sites.

With prices rising, shortages ongoing, and scams increasing, buyers need to be cautious, check specs carefully, research sellers, and, if buying from Amazon, record the entire unboxing to protect themselves from fake RAM kits.