In February, DRAM and NAND flash memory prices both increased by more than 12% year-on-year.

According to Korean media reports, in February this year, the average prices of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory (NAND Flash) continued their previous upward trend, both achieving a month-on-month growth of more than 12%. This is also the first time that the average prices of two major types of memory chips have recorded double-digit monthly increases at the same time.

According to data from market research organization DRAM eXchange, the average price of general-purpose DRAM products (DDR4 8Gb 1G×8) for personal computers reached US$13 in February, an increase of 13% month-on-month. During the same period, the average price of NAND flash memory products (128Gb 16G×8 MLC) for memory cards also rose to US$12.67, an increase of 12.7%.

According to CNMO, the contract price increase of PC DRAM has been particularly prominent. According to TrendForce data, the contract prices of DDR4 8GB and DDR5 16GB products soared by 120% and 118% respectively from the previous quarter, reaching US$85 and US$140.

Supply shortages of certain types of products are also adding to market tensions. The supply of single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory products, which are widely used in high-reliability demand areas such as industrial equipment, automotive electronics and communication networks, continues to be insufficient. Among them, the price of MLC products increased the most rapidly, with the 128Gb model soaring 33.9% month-on-month, and the 32Gb and 64Gb models also rising 29.4% and 21.2% respectively.