AI demand pushes DRAM, NAND flash prices to record highs
DRAM and NAND hit new peaks in July, with analysts expecting prices to climb up to 20 percent in the third quarter as server demand tightens supply
An image of a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip
JOONGANG ILBO
Growing demand for AI has pushed prices for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory chips to record highs. Yet, analysts forecast PC DRAM prices could rise even more — by as much as 20 percent — in the third quarter as server demand tightens supply.
The average fixed transaction price for DDR4 8Gb 1Gx8, a mainstream PC DRAM, reached $24 in July, up 14.3 percent from $21 in June, according to market research firm Dramexchange.
The July price was the highest since the research firm began tracking the product in June 2016 and was more than eight times the initial recorded price of $2.90 10 years ago.
DDR4 prices rose for 11 consecutive months from April 2025 through February 2026. They then stayed flat in March 2026 and have resumed their upward trend since April.
Memory manufacturers plan to reduce PC DRAM supply next year as cloud service providers continue to increase purchases of server memory, according to market research firm TrendForce. The firm forecasts fixed transaction prices for PC DRAM will rise 15 to 20 percent in the third quarter as supply tightens.
NAND flash prices also continued to rise.
The average fixed transaction price for mainstream 128Gb 16Gx8 MLC NAND flash used in memory cards and USB drives reached $30.10 in July, up 4.3 percent from $28.80 in June. The uptick marked the 19th consecutive month of price increases.
TrendForce attributed the increase to continued inventory-building demand from the AI edge computing, next-generation smart vehicle and industrial automation sectors.
Price movements also differed across product categories.
Legacy SLC NAND has faced supply shortages, as memory manufacturers shift production toward high-layer 3-D NAND and more advanced manufacturing processes, which drove SLC NAND’s average selling price up from between 35 to 51 percent over the previous month.
MLC NAND prices rose by a more modest range of 4 to 8 percent, as customers became increasingly price-sensitive after sharp price increases over the past year.
TrendForce expects SLC NAND prices to remain elevated in the third quarter due to the ongoing supply shortages, while price increases for MLC NAND are expected to continue to slow.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
