Although this is an issue that has been developing for over a year, the current memory crisis feels like it's accelerating (in the wrong direction) on account of existing stockpiles drying up and the fact that every consumer tech company, big or small, is now paying exponentially more than they were a year ago. This is why we've been seeing a string of recent price increase announcements from companies like Apple and Microsoft, and will probably see several more as the months roll on.
Throw in comments from big players like Lenovo saying that there's basically no end in sight, and we've now got even more bad news to throw into the mix. A new report from Jefferies Equity Research reinforces the bleak outlook, stating that memory prices will increase by another 40-50% in Q3 2026. And that's 40-50% on top of the current inflated prices.
Of course, it doesn't stop there. The research and analyst firm is also predicting that in Q4 2026, pricing will increase by another 30-40%. And with that, it's not hard to see why Apple's MacBook Pro is getting a $300 price increase, and the almost six-year-old Xbox Series X console is getting its price increased by $150. And to make the situation feel that extra bit existential, 2027 will also see price increases of around 40-45%.
The good news? Even though this is higher than expected, new memory capacity coming online in 2028 could lead to price drops. However, as companies like Micron sign long-term supply agreements with AI firms and data centers, a large share of future production is already tied up in these deals.
Story Q&A
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From TweakTown's coverage of this story.
How should PC builders adjust GPU and RAM purchasing timing given predicted 40-50% DRAM price increases in Q3 2026 and further rises through 2027?
Will long-term supply agreements between memory makers and AI/data-center customers likely limit retail availability of consumer-grade DRAM and GDDR for GPUs and consoles?
Should hardware buyers expect upcoming console and GPU launches (PlayStation 6, Project Helix, GeForce RTX 60, RDNA 5) to have higher launch prices due to peak memory pricing?
Could new memory capacity coming online in 2028 realistically reverse price increases for consumer components, or will preallocated production to AI/data-center contracts prevent relief for consumers?
Want something else? Ask TweakBot.
So yeah, there's no guarantee that 2028 will bring any relief. And when it comes to consumer tech like next-gen GeForce RTX 60 Series and RDNA 5-powered Radeon GPUs, alongside the PlayStation 6 and Microsoft's Project Helix console, their prospective 2027/2028 launch will most likely arrive during peak memory pricing crunch.
