Samsung is reportedly raising DRAM prices across both DDR5 and DDR4, removing what many buyers saw as a cheaper fallback option as memory costs continue to climb.
According to Taiwanese industry reports cited by Jukan on X, Samsung has increased DDR5 contract prices by more than 100%, pushing them close to $20 per unit, with figures around $19.20. The company is said to have informed OEM customers that available stock is limited, a move that has accelerated the price hike.
The increase, however, isn’t limited to DDR5 modules. Samsung has also raised DDR4 contract prices, with 16GB DDR4 modules now reportedly priced around $18. That narrows the gap between DDR4 and DDR5 and weakens DDR4’s role as a lower-cost alternative for system builders and device makers.
Market conditions don’t appear to be improving. Spot prices for DDR5 reportedly worsened through December, while DDR4 spot prices are also trending upward, showing little sign of stabilizing.
These contract prices mainly affect OEMs buying memory at scale, but the impact is likely to reach consumers. Laptop makers could respond by raising prices or reducing base memory configurations in 2026 models. Smartphone manufacturers may face similar pressure, particularly as higher-capacity RAM becomes standard.
Until now, rising costs were mostly an issue for high-end devices. But as 2025 draws to a close, even budget hardware appears set to take a hit. Samsung’s Galaxy A-series phones are also seeing price hikes.
With further price increases expected in Q1 2026 and no clear relief in sight until possibly 2027, DRAM costs are shaping up to remain a major factor in device pricing over the next year.
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