Patriot Viper Xtreme 5 32 GB DDR5 RAM price hits $1,523

Patriot Viper Xtreme 5 32 GB DDR5 RAM kits now face extreme price spikes on Amazon. A 2x16 GB DDR5-7600 CL36 kit purchased for $109.99 in August 2024 is listed at $1,523.47, marking a 1,285 percent increase.

Image: eTeknix

Reports point to the artificial intelligence boom as the driver behind the shortage. Major memory manufacturers are prioritizing server and data center modules over consumer hardware, pushing DRAM contract prices up by 10 percent to 15 percent every quarter. With AMD desktop processors featuring Zen 6 architecture and Intel Nova Lake desktop processors expected to launch in 2027, demand for memory remains high.

Alternative options still exist for builders. A 32 GB G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 kit costs around $520, while store deals from Newegg or Best Buy bring TeamGroup and Lexar kits down to around $450. Shoppers can also find bundles, such as a Newegg package featuring the 9800X3D, a Gigabyte motherboard, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2 TB SSD for $1,180.99, which values the included RAM at $151. Sellers are pushing listings to the maximum during the shortage, though everyday buyers are not necessarily paying the peak $1,500 rate.