RAM pricing is quickly developing into an existential problem for high-end PC gaming new-builds and upgrades. If you didn’t already have an uneasy feeling about a 64GB RAM kit costing more than an entire PS5, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney’s sage observations might begin to stir your gizzard.
RAM price increases will be a real problem for high-end gaming for several years. Factories are diverting leading edge DRAM capacity to meet AI needs where data centers are bidding far higher than consumer device makers. https://t.co/VgO2OG4oOrNovember 24, 2025
Sweeney’s social media musings, embedded above, came in reaction to a fellow Twitterer’s observation. In brief, the Fortnite figurehead was commenting on a post expressing shock-horror that a Crucial Pro DDR5-6000 kit they bought from Amazon for $260 in mid-October, jumped to $498 little more than a month later. This is despite being in the midst of the Black Friday ‘deals’ extravaganza, which seems to mean nothing in relation to this vital PC system component.
On the massive inflation observed by the Amazon shopper in the U.S., Sweeney remarked, “RAM price increases will be a real problem for high-end gaming for several years.” That’s a worryingly far-reaching prediction. Many users might be able to fend off new build or upgrade plans for a few months, but if we are talking several years, plans for next-gen systems could be adversely affected, or have to be shelved long-term.
Don't blame the resellers (yet)
Sweeney explained to his social media followers that “Factories are diverting leading-edge DRAM capacity to meet AI needs, where data centers are bidding far higher than consumer device makers.” That’s simple economics, where DRAM makers shift production to more profitable lines. It is hard to blame them for making hay while the sun shines, with the boom/bust cycles the industry is prone to. However, the Epic boss’s statement avoids pointing fingers at consumer-facing companies like Amazon or Crucial for engaging in any pricing shenanigans.
We have also recently highlighted the perils of buying PC RAM kits, even as we approach the peak of Black Friday. Great deals on great RAM kits like the G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR5 6000 kit on Newegg at $599 ($40 off), are definitely not that great if we step back and look at prices for just a few weeks prior. This same G.Skill Trident Z5 RAM kit was sold for as low as $220 as recently as September 20. That shift will give plenty of folks non-buyer's remorse.
Of course, the AI server building frenzy isn’t just affecting DRAM markets. In recent months, it has also been sucking bargains from consumer SSD-land, and effects are even now being felt on storage solutions like HDDs and high-capacity microSD cards. Where will it end? Some financial soothsayers have gotten more vocal about an AI bubble popping in recent weeks. However, Sweeney doesn’t seem to feel like an AI bubble is anywhere near popping pressure, going by his “several years” prediction.
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