RAM prices today

Which RAM should you buy this week?

Start with your motherboard. It decides whether you need DDR5 or DDR4, and the two types do not fit each other's slots. Then pick a capacity, then sort the table by price per GB. The kit with the lowest sticker price is usually the smallest one, and the lowest price per GB is often a size you do not need.

For most PCs the choice is between 16GB and 32GB. This week the cheapest 16GB DDR5 desktop kit is $228.99 (Silicon Power 16GB DDR5 4800 MT/s UDIMM Memory Module at B&H Photo) and the cheapest 32GB DDR5 desktop kit is $389.99. Our 16GB and 32GB pages list every kit in those sizes.

DDR5 or DDR4?

For a new build, DDR5. Current AMD AM5 boards and Intel Core Ultra 200S boards only take DDR5, so there is no DDR4 option on those platforms. DDR4 is for people who keep an older system and only want more capacity. Median price per GB this week: $8.00 for DDR4 and $17.50 for DDR5. See the live tables for DDR5 and DDR4.

Why is RAM this expensive?

Server memory for AI earns the makers more per wafer than desktop kits, so they shifted capacity there. Micron, the maker behind Crucial, announced in December 2025 that it would leave the Crucial consumer business. TrendForce expects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise another 10 to 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026, and shop prices follow contract prices with a delay.

The retail effect has been large. PCPartPicker data reported by TechPowerUp shows US DDR5 kit prices up 372% to 485% year over year by August 2026, depending on the kit, and DDR4 kits up 120% to 177%. We explain the causes in our RAMageddon guide.