Commodity DRAM Prices Hit Record High Again as June Momentum Fades - thelec.net

According to market research firm DRAMeXchange, the average price of commodity DDR4 8Gb memory for PC use reached $20 in May, up 25% from April, hitting a new all-time high. This marks the highest lev... Read original →

The DRAM and NAND price surge is triggering a technical stack realignment: PC OEMs are accelerating migration to LPDDR5 to bypass costly DDR4, while edge AI devices shift toward 3D-stacked alternatives due to frozen SLC NAND capacity. Tightening U.S.-EU export controls on semiconductor materials—combined with restricted mature-node expansion in Taiwan, China—have critically eroded supply chain resilience. SK hynix is locking in long-term contracts to squeeze smaller module makers, while Samsung may deliberately slow HBM3E ramp-up to sustain tightness in commodity DRAM. Over the next 12–24 months, despite short-term consolidation, structural demand from AI servers and industrial automation will anchor prices at elevated levels, signaling a ‘high-price new normal’ rather than a cyclical correction.