Raising prices can be even more powerful than gold and oil, and lowering prices can make you lose a set of down payments in three days. This is what can be called electronic gold recently, namely memory chips;

Since late last year, prices for memory and hard drives have gone on a rampage, hitting "gold-tier" highs. Many have started hoarding RAM as a form of investment. While there have been brief dips, prices remain stubbornly high, leaving the "wait-and-see" crowd completely frustrated.

We’ve compiled public data to help you understand the current situation and future trends. A quick disclaimer: this video is for informational purposes only and does not promote specific brands. We will also be launching a column to regularly update you on the latest tech industry news.

In this episode, we’ll deep dive into what memory is, why prices are surging, future predictions, and advice for ordinary users.

Memory chips, the core components of computers and phones, mainly include DRAM (memory) and NAND Flash (storage). This price surge has affected almost all mainstream consumer electronics—from PCs, laptops, and smartphones to game consoles, smart cars, and cloud storage subscriptions.

Simply put: with the same budget as before, you now get lower specs. If you need to upgrade, it will cost you significantly more. Whether you use cloud storage or buy physical drives, you are feeling the pinch of expensive storage.

Why are prices so outrageous this year?

Supply Control: Over the past two years, weak global demand led to an inventory backlog. Manufacturers cut production to clear stock. Now, they can't ramp up capacity fast enough to meet the sudden surge in demand, causing prices to rise naturally.

（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA3NTIyODUzNA==&idx=4&mid=2649761465&sn=6d572c393e22f918441d31824f22472b&poc_token=HOiW6GmjSrO7sY_qw1-1_aUU6S7I5b7tEU9azTC0）

The AI Boom: As AI models explode in popularity, the memory required for AI is in short supply. The "Big Three" manufacturers have shifted most of their capacity to high-profit AI server memory, squeezing out the production space for standard consumer memory and drastically reducing market supply.

（https://www.comnews.cn/content/2026-02/04/content_61347.html）

Raw Materials: Rising costs for upstream raw materials have increased the cost of manufacturing memory sticks, adding fuel to the fire.

（https://list1.mysteel.com/zhishi/gpjgcxzg.html）

Panic Buying: Fearing future shortages, downstream buyers are stockpiling inventory. Some middlemen are hoarding goods to create a false sense of scarcity, driving prices up and making consumers the ultimate victims.

When will this end? Based on industry data and policy trends, here is our judgment:

Short Term (Second Half of 2026): The frenzy will stop, but prices won't drop.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology intervened on April 21st to crack down on malicious hoarding and encourage domestic expansion. We expect the "daily price changes" to stop after May, entering a "stable high-price period." However, due to AI's structural occupation of capacity, prices will likely remain high throughout the second half of the year. If you have an urgent need, buying in the first half of 2026 is recommended.

（http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0422/c1004-40706499.html）

（https://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2026-04-21/4350054）

Long Term (After 2027): Prices expected to fall.
As domestic manufacturers (like CXMT and YMTC) release new capacity and global wafer factories complete their expansion cycles, the supply-demand gap should narrow. 2027 is expected to be the key turning point for prices to return to rational levels.

（https://k.sina.com.cn/article_7857201856_1d45362c001904kx0u.html）

（https://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2026-04-20/doc-inhvcmef8570835.shtml）

Facing these "sky-high prices," what should you do?

l For Urgent Needs: If your computer is lagging or you need a machine for work, don't obsess over short-term fluctuations. Buy what you need to maintain productivity. Look for deals during sales events like "618," but avoid blindly chasing "premium" specs. For most office users, 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD is still sufficient. Consider domestic brands like CXMT, YMTC, Guangwei, or Zhitai for better value and stability.

l For Non-Urgent Needs: If your computer is slow but usable, the best advice is "don't buy, save 100%." Clean up your system, reinstall Windows, or close background apps. A small SSD upgrade is cheaper than a full new stick of RAM. Wait for the 2027 price correction.

Although the current "Memory Assassin" is a headache, prices will eventually return to rationality as domestic power rises and the market self-regulates. We have listed all reference sources at the end of the video. Hope this helps, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Reference Sources

1.Changsha SSD & RAM Prices Skyrocket- Sanxiang City Daily

2. Global Memory Shortage:s Al Triggering a"Memory Doomsday"?--Sohu

3. Price Hike Worse Than Gold and Oil This Item is inYour Hands ---Xinhua News Agency

4. Samsung Can't Hold On,Cutting NAND Production to Stabilize Prices ---ZOL

5. Silicon Wafer Prices Continue to Rise ---MySteel Network

6Prices DropOver 50%Samsung &KioxiaPlanNAND ProductionCutsDeepTech

7. TrendForce PC DRAM Prices Expected to Double in 2026 Q1---IT Home

8. Global DRAM Market Supply & Demand Remains Tight -- Huangiu

9.MIT Responds to Storage Price Hikes: Cracking Down on Hoarding-National

Business Daily

10. Essentials | Memory Hits "Gold Price"? This Hoarding Must Stop ---People's Daily

11.Al Server Demand & PC Recovery Shake Consumer Electronics Industry --- China

Business News

12. Memory & HDD Prices Soar Q2 DRAM Up Over 60% -- China.com

13. Market Analysis Report on Memory & HDD Prices --TrendForce,CFM,Counterpoint,

36Kr,Jiemian News, etc.