RAM Prices Decline After AI-Driven Surge

Global RAM prices, which surged dramatically over the past six months amid booming artificial intelligence demand, are showing early signs of decline as major AI firms reassess their expansion plans and new technologies emerge to optimize hardware needs.

The downturn follows a period of intense pressure on memory supplies, driven largely by AI infrastructure projects. From June 2025 onward, prices for dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, rose by as much as 700 percent in some markets, according to industry trackers like TrendForce. This escalation stemmed from contracts between AI developers and leading manufacturers, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology, which dominate over 90 percent of global production. Reports indicated that OpenAI had signaled intent to secure up to 40 percent of DRAM output for its Stargate initiative, a massive data center effort initially planned with partners like Samsung and SK Hynix. In response, these companies increased production targets to around 900,000 wafers per month, prioritizing high-bandwidth memory for AI applications and reducing availability for consumer devices.

Consumer impacts were widespread. Smartphones...