Since the summer of 2025, due to insufficient supply caused by the surge in demand in data centers, memory prices centered on DDR5 have once plunged into a crazy high, and even affected the entire PC market. Although previous market analysis generally predicts that memory prices will not fall back in the short term, according to the latest market monitoring data, the once "unattainable" memory prices have officially reached a turning point, and the main capacity segment products are beginning to show obvious signs of decline.
At the peak period at the end of 2025, memory sales prices increased 3 to 5 times compared with the beginning of the year. Take the DDR5 32GB (16GBx2) package, which is the most popular among self-made players, as an example. Its average price once exceeded 90,000 yen in mid-to-late January 2026, and even the cheapest product was close to 68,000 yen. This extreme market situation directly caused the DIY market to become deserted and motherboard sales plummeted.
However, as prices exceeded the limits of ordinary consumers, market demand cooled rapidly. As of February 16, 2026, the average price of DDR5 32GB kits has dropped by about 7% from its peak, and the lowest price has dropped by 16%. The larger-capacity 64GB (32GBx2) package has fallen even more significantly, with the lowest price falling by as much as 20%.
It is worth noting that although the main models have begun to "divide", not all products are reducing prices. DDR5 128GB high-end package is still on the rise due to strong enterprise-level demand. Although the major manufacturers of old DDR4 memory have stated that they will continue to produce them, due to the imbalance between supply and demand, the monthly growth rate is still as high as 15%, with no sign of peaking.
Industry analysts point out that as retailers have previously accumulated large amounts of 32GB and 64GB DDR5 inventory, there is still room for further price cuts on these main models in the coming months amid worsening demand.
For players who plan to install machines, waiting and watching may be the best strategy at the moment, but they must also be mentally prepared: although the price will be reduced, it may be difficult to return to the level before the price increase in the short term.
Faced with the loosening of DDR5 prices, are you prepared to take advantage of the current situation to "get into the trap", or are you going to insist on waiting? How long do you think this wave of price increases will last? Let’s chat in the comment section.