Memory prices predicted to rise as much as 50% in Q3

AI data centres are buying up available stock, pushing up the prices of RAM and SSDs. Jefferies Equity Research predicts memory prices will climb 40–50% in the third quarter of 2026, then a further 30–40% in the fourth quarter and 40–45% year‑on‑year in 2027.

Jefferies foresees only a modest recovery in 2028 as production increases, on the order of 15–20%. Former Samsung boss Kyung‑Hyeon Kye had expected an earlier easing driven by Chinese manufacturing, but Chinese memory is not selling for less.

The surge has already affected people building new PCs or buying Steam Machines, and has coincided with Apple raising iPad and MacBook prices by hundreds of dollars, with iPhone price increases expected to follow.

The analysis links the spike to demand from AI infrastructure and notes hope that the AI bubble might ease, citing OpenAI's $38.53 billion loss in 2025. Whether memory costs return to previous levels or settle at a new normal remains unclear.

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