DDR4 spot dropped 5%, the first decline in a year.

Spot price for 16‑Gbps DDR5 fell about 5% over the last month to $74.10 – the first decline since February 2025.

During the same period, prices for 16‑Gbps DDR5 dropped almost as much; in Chinese catalogs and on Amazon some 32‑GB DDR5 kits fell immediately by 30%.

In the contract market where PC manufacturers buy, the situation remains stable: analysts forecast a price rise for DRAM in Q2 (58–63%) and NAND (70–75%). In Q1, DRAM prices rose record‑breaking 90–95%.

Memory leaders (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron) and Chinese companies CXMT/YMTC did not lower their prices; customers continue to sign long‑term contracts.

Spot sales represent a small share of total supply volumes, so their impact on the market is limited.

In the Chinese market, 32‑GB DDR5 fell 27% in a month, while DDR4 modules (8 and 16 GB) dropped 25% in a week.

What’s driving price declines

1. Inventory distribution

Distributors that accumulated large inventories during peak demand began liquidating them when smaller suppliers stopped passing costs onto consumers. Since the end of 2025, consumer demand has been declining; Samsung signed a long‑term DDR4 supply agreement, but it did not involve end users.

2. New technologies

Google introduced the TurboQuant KV‑cache compression algorithm, which significantly reduces the memory required by AI systems. This prompted some investors to sell assets out of fear that demand from major manufacturers would fall if the technology became mainstream.

What’s happening with legacy formats

- Prices for DDR3 and MLC NAND continue to rise despite the overall spot market decline.

- Some suppliers have dropped these solutions, leading to a reduced supply in those segments.

Thus, while spot prices for 16‑Gbps DDR5 are falling, the contract market remains resilient, and new technologies and demand shifts shape memory price dynamics.