In case we didn’t have enough things to thank AI for, we can now add the soaring cost of computer RAM to the list.
The prices of computer components like GPUs have been steadily rising due to things like the crypto boom, then the pandemic, and prices stayed relatively high because GPUs became very useful for AI model creation, training and running at scale. That said, as a PC builder, I was always able to hold onto RAM being a good value (unless you’re specing a Mac).
The one small silver lining is that the price skyrocketing seems to mostly affect the newer DDR5 models. Some kits have even had their prices boosted by over 110 per cent in a month, according to a report on Windows Central. Lower-end DDR4 sets, which are likely fine for most, haven’t gone up as much, but in my short browse around some Canadian computer websites, it seemed like everything was a little more expensive than I remembered it.
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
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) November 24, 2025
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted out that these rising prices will be a problem for high-end gaming for several years because data centres can bid so highly above the consumer market. Plus, this might even have repercussions in the GPU space since this likely means that the cost of VRAM will increase as well.
Altogether, this doesn’t really hold a candle to how much water AI data centres can use, since that could become a larger issue to some communities, but it does add another thorn to AI that will make justifying it a little harder.
Source: Windows Central
