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Sky-high DRAM prices have started to ripple across the PC hardware market. What began as a memory price spike is now being blamed for a dramatic drop in motherboard purchases — and industry watchers are asking whether CPU sales will follow.
DRAM surge trims motherboard demand by nearly half
According to reports from board-focused channels, major motherboard vendors such as MSI, GIGABYTE, and ASUS are seeing a 40–50% decline in sales versus the same period last year. Typically, the festive season pushes demand up, but since October DRAM costs have jumped — with some DDR5 kits selling for 2× to 4× their usual prices — forcing buyers to postpone upgrades or cancel new PC builds.
DDR5 transition makes the market more fragile
The shift to DDR5 has amplified the impact. Both AMD and Intel’s latest platforms have moved squarely to DDR5, reducing the pool of affordable DDR4 upgrade paths. Many consumers were waiting to increase memory capacity or assemble new systems on AM5 or LGA 1851 motherboards, only to find DDR5 kits prohibitively expensive. The result: motherboard purchases stall because the essential complementary component — RAM — is out of reach.
Could CPUs be the next casualty?
It’s logical to expect CPU sales to dip as well. If builders delay buying a motherboard or switch to older platforms to save on RAM, demand for new processors will fall in tandem. Industry watchers say CPU sales are likely already trailing last year’s levels, and continued high DRAM prices could extend that decline.
How vendors are responding
- Some retailers and motherboard makers have started bundling DDR5 kits with motherboards to make packages more attractive — but these bundles mainly help buyers starting from scratch.
- Existing motherboard owners gain little from bundles, since they still face steep RAM prices for upgrades.
- Vendors may need to rethink promotions and inventory strategies in the coming months if prices remain elevated.
Imagine planning a build only to see a basic 32GB DDR5 kit priced like a premium GPU — that’s the squeeze many PC builders are feeling. For the broader PC market, the combination of platform transition and volatile DRAM pricing creates a pause in upgrade cycles that could translate into weaker growth for the rest of the year.
What buyers can do now
- Consider delaying nonessential builds until DRAM prices stabilize, or buy a temporary DDR4-based system if compatibility allows.
- Watch for motherboard + RAM bundles if you need a full system; they can be better value than buying parts separately.
- Set price alerts and follow reputable board channels for stock and pricing shifts — the market can change quickly.
The memory market’s move has exposed how tightly linked PC components are. If DRAM stays expensive, motherboard makers will keep feeling the pinch — and CPUs may be next in line for a sales slowdown.
Source: wccftech
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