Server RAM and SSD Prices: What Changed in Six Months

In January, we wrote about rising RAM and SSD prices and explained why AI infrastructure required much more than GPUs. Memory, storage, CPUs and complete servers were all becoming harder to find and more expensive to buy.

Nearly seven months later, our forecast was correct. The market was less polite than expected.

Server RAM and enterprise SSD prices rose dramatically during the first half of 2026. The fastest part of that increase is now behind us, but prices have not returned to normal. The two markets are also starting to move differently. DRAM, the type of memory used in servers, is likely to remain expensive. NAND flash, the storage inside SSDs, should stabilize sooner.

This matters to anyone buying a VDS or dedicated server. RAM and storage are not decorative extras. They are a large part of the hardware cost behind the service, and sometimes the largest part.

What actually happened since January

Contract prices, which large suppliers and buyers negotiate for a quarter, moved unusually fast. TrendForce estimated that conventional DRAM contract prices increased by roughly 93 to 98 percent in the first quarter, followed by another projected 58 to 63 percent in the second quarter. Enterprise SSD contract prices were estimated to rise by 53 to 58 percent in Q1 and another 48 to 53 percent in Q2.

These are broad market figures. They do not mean that every memory module and SSD went up by exactly the same amount. The price of a specific product depends on its manufacturer, distributor, form factor, availability and when the stock was purchased. NAND is also only one part of an SSD. Its controller, onboard memory, firmware and power-loss protection all affect the final price.

Based on the supplier and distributor prices we track, the change from 1 January to 21 August looks roughly like this:

• A 64 GB DDR4-2933 registered server memory module (RDIMM) now costs roughly 2.5 to 3.2 times its January price.
• A 64 GB DDR4-3200 module now costs roughly 2.7 to 3.5 times its January price.
• A 64 GB DDR5 module now costs roughly 2.5 to 3 times its January price.
• A 3.84 TB enterprise NVMe SSD in U.2/U.3 or M.2 form now costs roughly 2.3 to 2.8 times its January price.

These are approximate ranges, not official indexes for four exact products. Some quotes will fall outside them. The precise percentage is less important than the practical result: components that were once routine additions can now account for most of a server’s price.

DDR4 is expensive because it is becoming legacy hardware

DDR4 has an awkward supply problem. Manufacturers are shifting production toward DDR5, high-bandwidth memory and other more profitable products. At the same time, a very large number of existing DDR4 servers still need replacement modules and upgrades.

In the channels and configurations we track, 64 GB DDR4-3200 RDIMMs have generally faced more pressure than DDR4-2933. DDR4-3200 is common in relatively modern servers that are still useful and still being expanded. Demand remains healthy while new supply becomes less attractive to manufacture.

Used modules removed from retired servers can ease the shortage, particularly for DDR4-2933. But production fleets still need a reliable supply of new, matching modules covered by warranty. A box of assorted used DIMMs can be useful, but it is not a manufacturing strategy.

We therefore do not expect a meaningful DDR4 price correction before the end of 2026. We expect another 10 to 25 percent increase for DDR4-2933 and roughly 15 to 30 percent for DDR4-3200 from current levels. The pace is slower than in the first half, but the arrow still points upward.

DDR5 is expensive for a different reason

DDR5 is not being phased out. Its problem is much simpler: demand is high, and manufacturers cannot make enough for everyone at once.

Running AI models in production increases demand not only for accelerators and their high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. It also requires ordinary servers with large amounts of RAM. HBM uses a substantial share of memory production capacity, so manufacturers naturally prioritize the most profitable products and customers with large, long-term contracts.

TrendForce expects server DRAM contract prices to rise another 13 to 18 percent in Q3. It also reports that some buyers are replacing 96 GB and 128 GB modules with 32 GB and 64 GB modules to control costs. That adds demand for the same capacities used in many standard servers.

For 64 GB DDR5 RDIMMs, we expect a further 10 to 20 percent increase by year-end. There is no convincing signal of a broad price decline in the remaining months of 2026.

Enterprise SSDs should stabilize first

Enterprise NVMe storage had its own spectacular first half. Data center demand was strong, NAND production did not grow fast enough, and suppliers focused on enterprise products. In August, TrendForce reported that the five largest NAND vendors increased their combined Q2 revenue by 77 percent from the previous quarter. Revenue and price are not the same, but TrendForce says higher selling prices were a major reason for that growth.

Prices are still rising in the second half, but more slowly. Newer production methods let suppliers make more storage from each silicon wafer. Weak demand for phones and PCs also gives the market more room to rebalance. TrendForce expects overall NAND contract prices to rise 10 to 15 percent in Q3, far below the jumps seen in the first half.

For common 3.84 TB enterprise NVMe drives, we expect prices to remain unchanged or rise by up to 15 percent between now and December. Some models will stabilize earlier. Others may stay expensive because of scarce controllers, higher endurance ratings or server compatibility requirements.

The longer outlook is less certain. Micron said in June that it expects demand for both DRAM and NAND to keep exceeding supply beyond 2027. TrendForce expects NAND production to catch up sooner, with shortages easing in the second half of 2027. They disagree about when the market will change, but agree on the part that matters today: enterprise SSDs are unlikely to become cheap again before the end of 2026.

What this means for ITLDC customers

In our January update, we said that existing services and in-stock dedicated servers would keep their prices. That remains the case. Our VDS plans and the dedicated servers currently in stock still have their previous prices. Many dedicated configurations are available for immediate activation.

That is possible because these servers were purchased, assembled and tested before today’s much higher component prices appeared. Existing stock helps protect the monthly service price from sudden changes in the hardware market.

Custom configurations and new products are different. Their prices must be calculated using current component costs, availability and market trends. That is expected and fair: a supplier invoice from August cannot be paid with a price list from January, however much everyone involved might prefer this accounting feature.

The difference can be surprisingly large. If an in-stock dedicated server needs a substantial RAM upgrade using modules bought at today’s prices, its monthly price can nearly double. This will not happen with every small upgrade, but it is entirely possible for memory-heavy servers in the current market.

If an available standard server fits the workload, it is usually the cheapest choice. The hardware is already in the rack, its price is known, and activation does not depend on a distributor finding another box of memory modules. Custom hardware still makes sense when the workload genuinely needs it, but “more RAM just in case” has become a remarkably expensive form of optimism.

The practical outlook

For the rest of 2026, we expect RAM prices to keep rising, although much more slowly than during the first half. DDR4 remains exposed to shrinking legacy supply, while DDR5 remains constrained by strong server demand and competition for manufacturing capacity.

Enterprise SSD prices should be calmer. We expect little movement or a modest increase by December. Storage prices are likely to stabilize before server RAM prices do.

The sensible response is not panic buying. Choose capacity carefully, compare a custom build with available standard configurations, and remember that hardware already installed in a datacenter can cost much less than the same parts ordered today. In 2026, “in stock” is not merely a delivery status. It is part of the discount.