DDR4 Module Prices Overtake DDR5 for the First Time

[AleksandarK]

Usually for newer technology rollout, prices are significantly higher compared to the last-gen. However, with DRAM, the story is the opposite. For the first time since the launch of DDR5, buyers are paying more for DDR4 memory modules than for the newer standard. A combination of tariff uncertainty and rapidly depleting DDR4 inventories is the main driver behind this. TrendForce data show that some high-demand DDR4 kits rose by as much as 40% in just one week, while DRAMeXchange reports that the average spot price for a 16 Gb (1Gx16) DDR4 module at 3,200 MT/s from Samsung and SK Hynix climbed to $12.50, with peak offers hitting $24. By contrast, dual-8 Gb DDR5 kits running between 4,800 MT/s and 5,600 MT/s remain near $6 on average, rarely exceeding $9. This unexpected surge follows Micron's announcement that it will wind down DDR4 production by year's end, accelerating the depletion of existing stocks over the next six to nine months.

Samsung also announced plans earlier this spring to retire its DDR4 lines and shift its focus to DDR5 and high-bandwidth memory, while China's CXMT confirmed it will scale back its DDR4 output despite recently reaching peak production levels. Taiwan's Nanya Technology is among the biggest beneficiaries of this topsy-turvy market. In the first quarter, the company held a DDR4 inventory valued at approximately NT$37.6 billion ($1.2 billion). Nanya even paused public price quoting to manage sales at these elevated levels. Many in the tech industry worry that renewed US-China trade tensions could spark another wave of panic buying. If additional tariffs target China's remaining DDR4 supply, module costs could climb to more than three times the price of DDR5, extending this rare pricing inversion well into the next quarter.



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[Daven]

Memory of all types is pretty cheap. It's the overall platform cost that matters. Going from a DDR4 based platform to a DDR5 based one incurs a heavy cost.

 

[Princess Garnet]

"Usually for newer technology rollout, prices are significantly higher compared to the last-gen."

Well, this was true for about five years now. DDR5 launched all the way back in 2020, after all.

I think the reason this can seem surprising despite that is because of how long DDR3 remained plentiful after it was replaced. With DDR4 platforms still being incredibly common (probably even the majority?), it would have been easy to assume that DDR4 RAM would remain cheap and accessible for the coming many years. It seems that might not happen.

As an analogy, I noticed the 5700X3D has been starting to look like the 5800X3D. That is, its price has been going up so it's no longer the unanimous upgrade choice it used to be, even for those already on AM4. The best time to make that upgrade was last year when it was a little under 200 dollars/euros. I fear the same is about to happen with DDR4 RAM, so I'd suggest that if anyone has any DDR4 platforms they want to keep in use for many years ahead, they consider RAM upgrades sooner rather than later, especially for systems with 16 GB or less.

 

[igormp]

Memory of all types is pretty cheap. It's the overall platform cost that matters. Going from a DDR4 based platform to a DDR5 based one incurs a heavy cost.

Changing platforms is always expensive due to the sheer amount of components you switch at once, but memory is not a negligible cost to that.
Memory was the most expensive part of my upgrade from AM4 (DDR4) to AM5 (DDR5), it costed more than my CPU and a little bit more than my mobo.
In a similar vein, when I upgraded from my previous DDR3 setup to my AM4 setup, memory costed as much as the CPU, and way more than the mobo.

And those examples are for regular non-ECC UDIMMs. New (L)RDIMMs are eye watering.

As an analogy, I noticed the 5700X3D has been starting to look like the 5800X3D. That is, its price has been going up so it's no longer the unanimous upgrade choice it used to be, even for those already on AM4.

The 5800x3D has pretty much disappeared in my local market (Brazil), with the 5700x3D taking its place both as the only AM4 x3D CPU available, as well as costing pretty much the same that the 5800x3D used to cost.
Given how the 5600x3D was a microcenter exclusive, I believe this outplacement of the 5700x3D is what caused AMD to launch the 5500x3D.

 

[JohH]

Wow, seems like a market opportunity. Maybe someone should keep an old DDR4 fab running and make some money in tariffed markets.

Well, they don't foresee the tariffs lasting that long and so won't bother.

 

[bonehead123]

Is it just me, or does it seem, for some reason, that in most recent discussions about DDR4/DDR5 prices & what not, someone always starts going on about the prices of 5xx series of CPU's.....

Yes, I realize the prices of both ram & CPU's will vary from time to time, and that switching platforms can be fairly costly, but I don't see why or how a direct comparison between their price deltas are really relevant to the discussion of one or the other part.

Perhaps I'm just missing something ?

 

[Princess Garnet]

Is it just me, or does it seem, for some reason, that in most recent discussions about DDR4/DDR5 prices & what not, someone always starts going on about the prices of 5xx series of CPU's.....

Yes, I realize the prices of both ram & CPU's will vary from time to time, and that switching platforms can be fairly costly, but I don't see why or how a direct comparison between their price deltas are really relevant to the discussion of one or the other part.

Perhaps I'm just missing something ?

I have no idea about those other situations.

The reason I made the analogy here was because I felt like it could be a predictor of what may come for DDR4 RAM pricing.

 

[freeagent]

I have some nice B-Die that I will never sell lol..

Wish my DDR5 was as fun to play with as my DDR4 is.

 

[bonehead123]

Wish my DDR5 was as fun to play with as my DDR4 is.

Well, since I stocked up on DDR4 last year when it was cheap, I'll be laughing up a storm for the rest of this year

not really, as the majority of it is for client builds, but just sayin....

So I am presently having sooooo much fun in knowing how much money I saved myself & my clients, which is "priceless"....

 

[freeagent]

Well, since I stocked up on DDR4 last year when it was cheap, I'll be laughing up a storm for the rest of this year

not really, as the majority of it is for client builds, but just sayin....

So I am presently having sooooo much fun in knowing how much money I saved myself & my clients, which is "priceless"....

I would let my nice sets of 3200C14 go for 600USD for both pairs.. but no one will pay that so more for me

But.. If I did that I would have killed all the fun that AM4 has to offer. It is no fun with gross yucky sticks.

 

[mechtech]

Closest jedec apples to apples comparison I could find

 

[Rightness_1]

Still an awful standard though, with almost no tangible benefits over DDR4. Maybe when the latency comes down a bit further and 8000mts is entry level... Most 6000mts is high latency garbage, slower than good DDR4.

It's like GDDR7, it made no real impact what so ever to GPU speeds, with GDDR6 offering the same performance. The latency is just too high.

 

[Daven]

Closest jedec apples to apples comparison I could find
View attachment 405553

View attachment 405554

Double the speed, double the price

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Still an awful standard though, with almost no tangible benefits over DDR4. Maybe when the latency comes down a bit further and 8000mts is entry level... Most 6000mts is high latency garbage, slower than good DDR4.

It's like GDDR7, it made no real impact what so ever to GPU speeds, with GDDR6 offering the same performance. The latency is just too high.

Mebbe so, but soon all new boards will be DDR5 only, same way DDR3 disappeared. Its going to happen whether we like it, or agree with it or not.

 

[Daven]

Mebbe so, but soon all new boards will be DDR5 only, same way DDR3 disappeared. Its going to happen whether we like it, or agree with it or not.

We need a huge shift in memory performance rather than DDR marchitecture. Unfortunate or not, the plausible candidates, HBM, unified schemes with high channel count DDR or GDDR, etc. are even more expensive and not upgradeable.

 

[Mr. Perfect]

So it begins. The same thing happened when DDR3 manufacturing wound down: and DDR2 before that, and DDR1, and SDRAM, and EDO... Soon the best bins will disappear, if they're not gone already. Eventually the only choice will be bare PCB JEDEC timing DIMMs from budget brands for prices you won't want to pay.

 

[R0H1T]

Memory of all types is pretty cheap. It's the overall platform cost that matters. Going from a DDR4 based platform to a DDR5 based one incurs a heavy cost.

Yes & no, I saw the cheapest rates (ever) on some higher speed DDR4 memory just last month & the same stuff costs almost 50% more now! Granted this was online but you'll probably see a good "premium" charged offline as well now, compared to earlier in the year.

 

[mechtech]

Double the speed, double the price

over double the timings for ddr5 as well
3200 is the fastest jedec ddr4
and
6400 is the fastest jedec ddr5............available so far
I'm not that long ago 64GB of 3200 ddr4 was much more as well.