Sec Custom Computers Inc.

**Notice **
Memory & SSD Prices Soaring

There has been a significant and widely reported surge in the prices of memory and SSDs throughout the past month, with industry experts warning that the crisis will continue through 2026 and potentially beyond.

Key Details of the Price Surge

• Dramatic Price Hikes: Consumer DDR5 and DDR4 RAM prices have doubled, and in some cases tripled, in just the last few weeks.
• Cause: AI Demand: The primary driver is the massive, unprecedented demand for memory from AI companies and data centers, such as OpenAI's "Stargate" project, which has locked down a significant portion of the global supply.
• Supply Chain Shift: Major memory manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are prioritizing the production of high-margin AI chips, which has led them to wind down production of older, lower-margin consumer components like DDR4 and some consumer-grade NAND (SSDs). Micron (Crucial) has announced the exit of Crucial consumer business, including the sale of Crucial consumer-branded products at key retailers, e-tailers and distributors worldwide
• Critical Shortage: Supplier inventories collapsed from 13-17 weeks in late 2024 to a critically low 2-4 weeks by October 2025, creating an acute global shortage.

The response from manufactures have been to issue formal price hikes, with memory manufactures raising chip prices by as much as 150%. Nationwide, PC builders have announced price increases on systems and many stores are imposing limits on purchases. National giants Dell and Lenovo are bracing for impact, with Dell's COO noting he has "never seen memory-chip costs rise this fast". The crisis is expected to push consumer prices sharply higher by mid-2026, with most analysts and manufacturers, including SK Hynix, and Samsung, predicting the shortage will persist through late 2027 or even 2028, as building new fabrication plants takes years.

For those looking to buy memory now, experts suggest it may be a good time to purchase before further price hikes, as the "era of cheap DRAM and SSDs could be over" for the foreseeable future.

**Notice **
Memory & SSD Prices Soaring

There has been a significant recent surge in the prices of memory and SSDs throughout the past month, with industry experts warning that the crisis will continue through 2026 and potentially beyond. Consumer DDR5 and DDR4 RAM prices have doubled, and in some cases tripled, in just the last few weeks.

The primary driver is the massive, unprecedented demand for memory from AI companies and data centers, such as OpenAI's "Stargate" project, which has locked down a significant portion of the global supply. Major memory manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are prioritizing the production of high-margin AI chips, which has led them to wind down production of older, lower-margin consumer components like DDR4 and some consumer-grade NAND (SSDs). Micron (Crucial) has announced the exit of Crucial consumer business, including the sale of Crucial consumer-branded products at key retailers, e-tailers and distributors worldwide. Supplier inventories recently collapsed from 13-17 weeks in late 2024 to a critically low 2-4 weeks by October 2025, creating an acute global shortage.

The response from manufactures have been to issue formal price hikes, with memory manufactures raising chip prices by as much as 150%. Nation wide, PC builders have announced price increases on systems and many stores are imposing limits on purchases. National giants Dell and Lenovo are bracing for impact, with Dell's COO noting he has "never seen memory-chip costs rise this fast". The crisis is expected to push consumer prices sharply higher by mid-2026, with most analysts and manufacturers, including SK Hynix, and Samsung, predicting the shortage will persist through late 2027 or even 2028, as building new fabrication plants takes years.

For those looking to buy memory now, experts suggest it may be a good time to purchase before further price hikes, as the "era of cheap DRAM and SSDs could be over" for the foreseeable future.

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From all of us at S.E.C. Custom Computers Inc, we want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.