- Samsung DRAM and SSD prices have doubled in South Korea since November 2025
- Samsung is reportedly focusing on producing memory for artificial intelligence companies.
- An analyst predicts that 30% of the total cost of manufacturing products could correspond to memory
The PC hardware market is arguably in its worst state in years due to the ongoing memory crisis, which has led to price increases almost across the board, and with a worrying case from a popular manufacturer, consumers may fear the worst.
That popular manufacturer is Samsung, and prices for its DRAMs and SSDs have doubled or “sometimes even tripled” in the last 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 supply shortages for consumers, which sounds similar to Micron’s focus on its push into AI.
For example, a DDR5 RAM module sold for 100,000 won in November, which is equivalent to about $69. However, recently, the same Samsung RAM sold for 400,000 won, which puts it at about $278. That’s a 300% price increase for just 16GB of memory.
Dealers are also purchasing 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 is not unreasonable to believe that this will spread to other regions.
An analyst at Counterpoint Research, MS Hwang, predicts that 30% of the total manufacturing cost of products will go to memory alone, as reported by TweakTown.
If this estimate is correct, we could basically see all hardware that uses memory skyrocket in price, and with the current situation where most manufacturers are pushing to focus more 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 denying that AI has been beneficial to PC hardware, specifically gamers, and Nvidia has improved 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 an unprecedented rate for RAM and now SSDs, with Best Buy’s 2TB options well above regular prices. A good example is the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD available for $399.99, which is the price you would typically find for a 4TB option.
AI is taking the reins of the PC hardware market and its trajectory, and I fear that the longer this continues, the more normalized it could become, until the high prices of said hardware become irreversible.
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