- Prices of high-capacity DDR5 memory increased dramatically, creating new theft targets
- Thieves in South Korea only stole DDR5 modules, ignoring the rest of the office hardware
- 32GB DDR5-5600 kits hit around $800 during late 2025 price spikes
A South Korean mining factory recently experienced a theft that focused exclusively on DDR5 memory modules, leaving all other office items untouched.
Reports shared on a local forum claim that an intruder broke the tempered glass side panels of two desktop computers, but ignored desk drawers and other office property.
The stolen hardware consisted solely of four Micron DDR5-5600 32GB CL46-rated modules, a product line that the company removed from the consumer market.
Selectively targeting scarce but valuable memory
Interestingly, no other components were reported missing, indicating that the act was more selective than opportunistic, and leading some to speculate that the theft was motivated by collection or resale value rather than immediate functional use.
The market price of high-end DDR5 memory has created conditions where thieves seem willing to overlook other components entirely, focusing solely on these rare modules.
DDR5 memory has seen extreme price increases in recent months, creating conditions that make it a very desirable target for thieves.
Recent figures from PCPartPicker claim that 32GB DDR5-5600 modules in 2x32GB kits reached approximately $800 on average between October and December 2025.
Modules with slightly higher specs, such as DDR5-6000 2x32GB, rose even higher, averaging around $900.
These values far exceed the original retail prices of around $200 in September 2025, making them especially attractive to informed resellers.
Even lower capacity modules, such as the 16GB DDR5-5200, now command high prices, approximately $90 to $120 per unit, depending on brand and market demand.
Supply constraints and continuing bottlenecks in high-performance memory production contribute to high prices, reinforcing financial incentives for theft.
The increase in value and scarcity of these high-end modules appears to be directly influencing theft patterns.
The theft from the South Korean office involved four 32GB DDR5-5600 modules, representing a combined potential market value of approximately $1,600.
The small size of memory modules, combined with high demand and resale potential, makes them easier to steal and transport than larger or less valuable hardware.
High-end DDR5 modules are particularly vulnerable to theft, especially when the internal components are visible through tempered glass or transparent cases.
Systems known to use DDR5 memory face increased risk because thieves can identify and target them specifically, targeting internal high-value modules rather than other components.
That said, organizations may need to increase security measures, including hiding valuable components, restricting physical access, and monitoring high-demand hardware.
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