Price pressure due to AI data center makers that are simply willing to pay much more for DRAM than consumers.
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(Image credit: G.Skill) RAM pricing is quickly developing into an existential problem for high-end PC gaming new-builds and upgrades. If you didn’t already have an uneasy feeling about a 64GB RAM kit costing more than an entire PS5 , Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney’s sage observations might begin to stir your gizzard.
RAM price increases will be a real problem for high-end gaming for several years. Factories are diverting leading edge DRAM capacity to meet AI needs where data centers are bidding far higher than consumer device makers. https://t.co/VgO2OG4oOr November 24, 2025
Sweeney’s social media musings, embedded above, came in reaction to a fellow Twitterer’s observation. In brief, the Fortnite figurehead was commenting on a post expressing shock-horror that a Crucial Pro DDR5-6000 kit they bought from Amazon for $260 in mid-October, jumped to $498 little more than a month later. This is despite being in the midst of the Black Friday ‘deals’ extravaganza, which seems to mean nothing in relation to this vital PC system component.
On the massive inflation observed by the Amazon shopper in the U.S., Sweeney remarked, “RAM price increases will be a real problem for high-end gaming for several years.” That’s a worryingly far-reaching prediction. Many users might be able to fend off new build or upgrade plans for a few months, but if we are talking several years, plans for next-gen systems could be adversely affected, or have to be shelved long-term.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-says-ram-pricing-crisis-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon-fortnite-boss-says-crunch-will-be-a-real-problem-for-high-end-gaming-for-several-years#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.