UK Retailer's £120,000 Price on 8GB RAM Sends Gamers Into Panic Over Market Collapse

A listing on Currys Business showing an 8GB DDR4 laptop module priced at £120,191.11 ($158,000.00) ex VAT has stunned PC users, many of whom feared RAM prices were already spiralling far faster than expected.

The image was shared by Tom Warren via X. Even if the listing is a clear error, it reflects the anxiety surrounding a genuine market shock as DRAM costs climb at record speed.

Once dismissed as exaggeration, concerns about a full DRAM shortage look increasingly justified as suppliers warn that 2026 could see severe allocation problems across consumer memory products.

The image making the rounds among PC builders features a standard Hyperam 8GB SO-DIMM module originally meant for low-cost laptops. The module should retail for around £15 to £20. Seeing a five-figure price has turned the listing into a lightning rod for wider fears about where the memory market is heading.

AI Demand Strains DRAM Supply

The memory industry is undergoing a significant shift as major manufacturers are pouring production capacity into high-bandwidth memory for AI accelerators.

Nvidia, AWS, Google, and Microsoft continue to reserve huge volumes of HBM years in advance, pushing DRAM makers to focus on the most profitable segment they can serve, reports Digitimes Asia.

TeamGroup general manager Gerry Chen recently confirmed that contract prices for DRAM and NAND have almost doubled in recent months. December contract prices rose between 80% and 100% month on month.

Spot prices reflect the same trend. A 16Gb DDR5 chip sat at an average of $6.84 ( £5.51) in September. By late November, it hit $24.83 ( £19.98). On 1 December, it reached an average of $27.20 ( £21.88), with session highs of $37.00 ( £29.77).

The cost breakdown highlights why consumer modules are now poised for another jump. Memory alone for a 16GB DDR5 stick is now roughly $217.60 ( £174.84). Add the PCB, assembly, PMIC, and testing, and a basic module reaches $225.00 to $228.00 ( £180.66 to £183.07) before manufacturer premiums and taxes.

Chen expects a sharp drop in availability in early 2026 as existing stockpiles run dry. He warned that even buyers willing to pay inflated rates might fail to secure fresh allocation. With new fabs taking at least three years to build, extra capacity will not materially help the market until late 2028 or 2029.

Consumer Hardware Faces Rising Costs

The impact is already visible. PC builders report that popular DDR5 kits have doubled and, in some cases, tripled in price. The high end is shifting fastest, with some 64GB kits now costing more than a PlayStation 5.

Retailers that once used RAM to attract holiday shoppers now face tight supply, shrinking margins, and limited restocking opportunities.

The shift toward AI server production does not end with DRAM. NAND suppliers appear to be following the same path. Major cloud providers remain the priority for upcoming shipments. Chen does not expect capacity to return to typical consumer products such as laptops, desktops, and smartphones across 2026. Devices relying on flash storage may see price spikes throughout the year.

This places PC upgraders in a difficult position heading into 2025 and 2026. Builders planning to assemble mid-range or high-end systems could face volatile pricing and very limited availability. Many enthusiasts took advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers in what might be the final window to buy RAM before a prolonged period of high costs.

Analysts expect the supply gap to deepen over the next 12 to 18 months. With AI demand continuing to rise, DRAM makers have little room to redirect capacity to consumer markets. Even if new projects were greenlit today, the fabs would not be operational until late 2028.

For everyday buyers, the situation creates an unusual scenario. Memory, once viewed as a stable and predictable part of PC building, now sits at the centre of a global scramble for components used in AI servers.

Unless the market shifts again, the RAM shortages that began in late 2025 may stretch deep into 2027. The viral £120,000 listing may be an error, but for many gamers it feels like a sign of what could be ahead.