RAM prices are expected to climb even further in the third quarter of 2026, with an announced increase of 40 to 50 % over one quarter according to a Jefferies note relayed by TechSpot. For an SME, the impact is not limited to PCs: servers, hosting, AI, web applications, and fleet renewal may cost more or take longer.
RAM prices: why the 2026 increase changes your trade-offs
RAM, or random-access memory, is used to run software while a computer or server is working. The more data an application processes, the more it consumes. When RAM prices rise, the effect shows up in hardware quotes, cloud servers, workstations, and sometimes SaaS subscriptions.
The most discussed signal comes from Ethan Tan, former executive at Samsung China, cited in a Jefferies Equity Research note published on June 29, 2026 and relayed by TechSpot. He anticipates a memory price increase of 40 to 50 % in the third quarter of 2026, then another 30 to 40 % in the fourth quarter. It is a forecast, not a guaranteed bill, but it fits into an already visible trend.
TrendForce had already raised its forecasts for the first quarter of 2026: +90 to 95 % on conventional DRAM contract prices, compared with +55 to 60 % previously estimated. PC DRAM was expected to rise by more than 100 % over the quarter, and server DRAM by around +90 %. In other words, this is not a small temporary strain.
What is pushing prices upward
The simplest cause to understand: demand is growing faster than supply. Memory manufacturers, notably Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, are directing part of their capacity toward highly profitable uses such as HBM, a very high-bandwidth memory used for artificial intelligence and GPUs. This leaves less available capacity for the more standard DRAM used in PCs and servers.
TrendForce attributed the increases in the second quarter of 2026 to this reallocation toward server and HBM applications, as well as to tight overall supply. The same firm indicated at the end of June 2026 that DRAM contract prices were continuing to rise due to tight supply, low inventories, expectations of negative production growth, and strong restocking demand.
Another factor weighs heavily: large customers secure their volumes well in advance. Micron indicated at the end of June 2026 that it had signed 16 strategic customer agreements, 14 of which represent around 100 billion dollars in minimum contracted revenue, with 22 billion dollars in projected deposits or financial commitments. These agreements generally run from 2026 to 2030, with three-year automotive contracts.
For an SME, the trap is subtle. The price of a server or a computer does not necessarily go up the very next day. But when suppliers renew their inventories or renegotiate their purchases, the increase reappears in the available configurations, lead times, and memory options.
Which budget items are really exposed?
The first visible item remains IT renewal: laptops, workstations, mini PCs, NAS servers, development machines. A configuration with 32 GB or 64 GB of RAM can become noticeably more expensive, especially if the company is buying in volume.
The second item is less obvious: infrastructure. A e-commerce website, a business application, or a SaaS consumes memory on the server side. At OVHcloud, Scaleway, AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud, public prices do not always instantly follow the components market, but new generations of instances and contractual discounts may become less favorables.
The third item concerns AI. Projects involving retrieval-augmented systems, agents, or document analysis often consume a lot of memory, especially when hosting models or vector databases. Before choosing an architecture, it is better to compare approaches: a project of the type RAG, fine-tuning or prompt engineering does not have the same memory cost profile at all.
Some technical decisions also become more attractive. Running part of the computations locally in the browser can reduce server load, even if that is not suitable for all use cases. The subject is close to the approaches described around WebGPU and AI running in the browser, where the trade-off concerns both the’user experience than on infrastructure cost.
| Source or indicator | 2026 period | Announced change | Takeaway for a decision-maker |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrendForce, conventional DRAM | Q1 2026 | +90 to 95 % over one quarter | The increase was already in place before the summer. |
| TrendForce, PC DRAM | Q1 2026 | More than +100 % over one quarter | Fleet renewals can be affected quickly. |
| TrendForce, server DRAM | Q1 2026 | Around +90 % over one quarter | Cloud and dedicated server costs should be monitored. |
| TrendForce, conventional DRAM | Q2 2026 | +58 to 63 % over one quarter | The strain persists despite an already forte increase. |
| Jefferies / Ethan Tan, via TechSpot | Q3 2026 | +40 to 50 % over one quarter | Planned purchases for late 2026 deserve to be moved up or renegotiated. |
| Jefferies / Ethan Tan, via TechSpot | Q4 2026 | +30 to 40 % in one quarter | Delaying for no reason can cost more. |
Should you buy now or wait?
The answer depends on the use case. If you need to equip a team, replace obsolete machines, or launch a production server before the end of 2026, waiting for a rapid drop seems risky. The available data instead points to lasting pressure, with significant capacity not expected to return before late 2027 or 2028 according to TrendForce.
Conversely, buying too much can also be a mistake. PCs with 64 GB for office work, CRM, and video calls are not always justified. At that budget, it is often better to invest in good SSDs, a solid warranty, and a backup policy rather than doubling the RAM “just in case.”
In the projects we handle, we often see another overlooked angle: the initial sizing of an application. A poorly indexed database, that is, one that is poorly organized to respond quickly, can consume much more memory than a well-designed application. In that case, paying more for RAM hides the problem instead of solving it.
A SaaS project illustrates the trade-off well. With a modern stack like Next.js, Supabase, and Stripe, the memory cost depends fortly on the number of simultaneous users, database queries, and automated tasks. The choices described in a Next.js and Supabase stack to create a SaaS can remain lean if the architecture is defined early.
The hidden risks to your timelines and contracts
Rising RAM prices do not only affect the budget. They can also delay deliveries. When inventories fall, some configurations disappear from catalogs, procurement lead times get longer, and suppliers offer alternative models that are sometimes less suitable.
Hosting contracts should also be reviewed. A one-year or multi-year commitment can protect against an immediate increase, but it can also lock you into an oversized configuration. Honestly, paying for an oversized instance for three years just for peace of mind is rarely a good deal.
Security should not be sacrificed to offset the increase in hardware costs. Reducing redundancy, removing backups, or postponing an EDR (advanced endpoint detection) creates a risk far greater than the savings achieved. The cost of an incident can quickly exceed the difference in memory pricing, as shown by the analysis of the real budget of a ransomware cyberattack for an SMB.
There is also a legal issue in the background. PC Gamer reported on June 29, 2026 a class action proposed in California by Nord aimed at Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, accused of limiting supply and influencing DRAM prices since 2022. These are allegations, not a judgment. For a buyer, that does not change next month’s quote, but it is a reminder of how concentrated the market is.
How to limit the impact without slowing down your digital project
The right reflex is to separate certain needs from hypothetical needs. A graphic designer’s workstation, a database server, a machine for mobile development or an AI server do not have the same tolerance for memory shortages. A simple setup is often enough.
- Move forward purchases already decided for 2026 if the need is validated and budgeted.
- Avoid excessive configurations for office or commercial uses.
- Request two hosting quotes: a lean scenario and a scaling scenario.
- Optimize the code, SQL queries, and cache before increasing server memory.
- Check contractual commitments: duration, price revision, early sortie, upgrade or downgrade options.
On the agency side, the instinct is to estimate the total cost of ownership rather than just the launch cost. An application that is cheaper to develop but memory-hungry can become more expensive after twelve months. The opposite also exists: very advanced optimization can cost more than two years of additional hosting.
Changes in the chip market go far beyond RAM. The tensions surrounding Intel, Apple, and production chains show that hardware decisions now influencore very concrete software choices. To follow this link between components and digital strategy, the analysis on Apple’s bet around Intel and chips provides a good complementary read.
Defining this type of project upfront avoids most bad surprises: configuration, hosting, security, purchase schedule, growth margin. This is often where an outside perspective saves time, especially when component prices become unpredictable.
FAQ on RAM prices
Why are RAM prices rising so much in 2026?
Demand for memory for servers, AI, and HBM exceeds the available supply. TrendForce also cites low inventories, constrained production, and strong restocking demand.
Will the increase in RAM prices affect cloud servers?
Probably, but not always immediately. Major hosting providers absorbent some of the short-term fluctuations, then pass them on through new instances, discounts, or contractual terms.
Should you buy more RAM before the end of 2026?
Yes if the need is certain and provided for in the budget. No if it is a poorly defined confort margin: in this case, software optimization or a better choice of architecture may cost less.
Could RAM prices drop in 2027?
The available information does not point in that direction in the short term. Ethan Tan, quoted via Jefferies and TechSpot, even mentions persistent shortages in 2027, but that part remains a single-source forecast.