PS5 now costs less than 64GB of DDR5 memory. RAM jumps to $600 due to shortage (www.tomshardware.com)

Consumer DDR5 prices have spiked to eye-watering levels as AI builders soak up DRAM and NAND supply. A 64 GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 6000 MT/s kit is listing for $599.99 on Newegg (discounted from $640), a dramatic jump from recent typical prices around $205–$220 and far higher than the $299–$349 range seen earlier this year for comparable 64 GB kits. Price-tracking shows roughly a ~190% surge in two months, turning a mainstream upgrade into a luxury purchase (the quip: a PS5 Slim now costs less than some 64 GB DDR5 kits). The surge matters because enterprise AI customers are prioritizing production lines, tightening supply for gamers, PC builders and data centers that aren’t focused on large-scale model training. Effects are already broadening: large-capacity nearline HDDs are backordered for up to two years, QLC SSDs and microSD cards are being hoarded as stopgaps, and retailers are bundling memory with motherboards to move inventory. Analysts warn DRAM and NAND constraints could persist through 2026 as Big Tech scales toward AGI, though memory’s cyclical market suggests possible relief (and bargains) by around 2027. For now, higher BOMs and delayed consumer device launches look likely as manufacturing shifts toward AI workloads.