- Samsung DRAM and SSD prices have doubled in South Korea since November 2025
- Samsung is reportedly focusing on producing memory for AI companies
- One analyst predicts that 30% of the total cost of manufacturing products may be on memory
The PC hardware market is arguably in its worst state in years due to the ongoing memory crisis, which is leading to price increases almost across the board – and with a worrying case from a popular manufacturer, consumers may fear the worst.
The popular manufacturer is Samsung, and prices for its DRAM and SSDs have doubled or “sometimes even tripled” in the past two months in South Korea, according to TheElec.
This is reportedly due to Samsung’s focus on producing memory for AI companies, which ultimately leads to a supply shortage for consumers, which sounds similar to Micron’s approach in their AI push.
For example, a DDR5 RAM module was sold for 100,000 won in November, which is about $69. But recently, the same Samsung RAM stick was sold for 400,000 won, putting it at around $278. That’s a 300% price increase for just 16GB of memory.
Distributors are also buying both RAM and SSDs from Samsung at higher prices, directly impacting consumer prices – and while this report focuses on the crisis in South Korea (where Samsung is based), it’s not unreasonable to believe this will spread to other regions.
A Counterpoint Research analyst, MS Hwang, predicts that 30% of the total manufacturing cost of products will be on memory alone, as reported by TweakTown.
If this estimate is correct, we could see essentially all hardware that uses memory skyrocket in price, and with the current situation where most manufacturers are pushing for a greater focus on AI, it doesn’t look very positive for consumers in 2026 and beyond.
Analysis: I hope the AI push fails, and I’m not afraid to say so
There’s no doubt that AI has been beneficial to PC hardware, specifically for gamers, with Nvidia improving its DLSS upscaling models for better performance and image quality. However, I think AI is currently doing more harm than good to consumers and I hope the bubble bursts.
Prices are rising at unprecedented rates for RAM and now SSDs with Best Buy’s 2TB options far above normal pricing. A good example is the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD available for $399.99, which is the price you’d normally find for a 4TB option.
AI is taking over the reins of the PC hardware market and its trajectory, and I fear that the longer this continues, the more normalized it may become until high prices for such hardware become irreversible.
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