When will RAM prices go down?
Checked onNo one can give a date, and they are not falling now: the same 1,867 RAM kits on Newegg cost 12.5% more in total than on Sep 29, 2026. Micron, a memory maker, expects DRAM and NAND chip supply to stay tight beyond 2027.
That is the makers' outlook for their chips, not a date for a cheaper RAM kit. What to do depends on how soon you need one.
What to do now
You need one this week
Buy now. Waiting has no measured payoff, and the price list shows the cheapest RAM kit of each kind.
An upgrade that can wait
Decide the price you would pay, then watch the 7- and 30-day moves. A product at the lowest price we have recorded for it says so on the list.
A new build
Price the whole build. The RAM kit is one part, and a cheaper choice elsewhere can cover a rise here.
What retail prices actually did
Of the same 1,666 products listed on Aug 3, 2026 and Oct 31, 2026, 892 cost more, 174 cost less and 600 were unchanged. Bought together, they cost 19.6% more on Oct 31, 2026.
This comparison uses the same products at both dates. It does not attribute every dollar of a shop price to a manufacturer's costs.
RAM retail price history
From Aug 3, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026, the daily median ranged from $14.37 to $17.81 per GB. The latest observed median is $17.73. It is 98% of the way from the lowest to the highest daily median in this window.
| Comparison | Cost more | Cost less | Unchanged | Same products together | Median change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 daysOct 22, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026 · 1,949 products | 205 | 143 | 1,601 | +0.3% | 0.0% |
| 32 daysSep 29, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026 · 1,867 products | 691 | 238 | 938 | +12.5% | 0.0% |
| Since the record beganAug 3, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026 · 1,666 products | 892 | 174 | 600 | +19.6% | +5.0% |
| Last 12 months | Not available: the retail record is shorter than a year. | ||||
What the manufacturers have said
- Memory chipsSamsung, SK hynix, MicronThe makers' statements below describe this step
- Kit makersTurn chips into modules and kits
- Newegg listingThe price you payOur daily record follows this step
Micron · Jun 24, 2026
Micron expects DRAM and NAND supply to remain tight beyond 2027. That is the manufacturer's outlook, not a date for a retail price cut.
Samsung · Jul 30, 2026
Samsung says server demand is keeping memory supply constrained, even with partial demand moderation in PCs and mobile.
SK hynix · Jul 29, 2026
SK hynix reported higher DRAM and NAND prices in its second quarter. Its chip prices are distinct from the price of a finished memory kit or SSD.
Micron · Jun 24, 2026
Micron says industry demand for DRAM and NAND continues to significantly exceed supply.
Samsung · Jul 30, 2026
Samsung says its memory business addressed AI demand with limited capacity and a primary focus on server products.
SK hynix · Jan 5, 2026
SK hynix says resources are being moved to HBM, the stacked memory on AI accelerators, and that this improves the supply-demand balance for ordinary DRAM. For the makers that means firmer prices, not cheaper kits.
Manufacturer statements describe their own business and outlook. Retail promotions, stock and the exact model can move differently.
What would show RAM prices easing?
A fall among the same products across several collection dates would show an actual retail change. More listed products at lower prices would broaden that evidence. A factory outlook alone does not give a date when a particular listing gets cheaper.
Use the retail chart to compare the dates, and the current price list to compare the exact part and its alternatives.
Why we give no date
We wrote a buy-or-wait rule and tested it on 1,252 past decisions across 11 factory price indexes, each using only the index months up to its own date, as BLS publishes them today (later revisions included). At three months, 29 of its 48 calls to wait were followed by a higher index: wrong 60.4% of the time. A date from a rule like that would mislead you, so this page gives the evidence instead.
Factory index: separate context
Category price index, not the price of a part
Semiconductor and related device manufacturing (PPI)
28.801Factory index level, September 2026
January 2017September 2026
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, public domain, PCU334413334413, latest month September 2026, checked 17 October 2026.
The BLS series is semiconductor and related device manufacturing (PPI), not the retail price of a RAM kit. Its match to this category is good. Monthly manufacturing-index table.