PC RAM Shrinks for the First Time as AI Drives Up DRAM Prices

32GB and 64GB lose ground

Over the past three months, systems with 32GB of RAM fell by 2.5%, while 64GB machines dropped a sharper 18%. Smaller setups grew: 16GB systems rose 12.9% and 8GB systems 5.5%. The 24GB configuration posted the strongest gain at 19.7%.

32GB is still the most common configuration, at 37.2% of surveyed systems. But 16GB is closing in, trailing by just 4.2 percentage points. The pattern suggests buyers are postponing memory upgrades or choosing cheaper kits.

DDR4 gains, DDR5 slips

The older DDR4 standard also strengthened. Its share rose 6 percentage points year on year to 54.4%, making it the most widely used memory generation in the survey. DDR5 fell 2.9 points to 32.9%. Both generations have become more expensive, but DDR4 remains a comparatively affordable route for upgrades and new builds.

The Steam hardware survey shows a similar shift. Last month, the share of Steam users with 32GB fell 5.1%, while 16GB, the most common configuration, rose 3.6%.

Outlook

Relief does not look imminent. TeamGroup CEO Chen Ching-wen reportedly warned last week that memory prices will keep rising for an extended period. He also cautioned that the IT industry could face its worst chip shortage between the fourth quarter of 2026 and the end of the second quarter of 2027.

Demand for memory chips from AI infrastructure developers and data centre operators keeps straining global DRAM supply. If tech companies continue to invest heavily, PC makers and consumers may face higher component costs, making high-capacity configurations ever harder to afford.