Buyer guide
RAM prices in Australia: why RAM is so expensive (November 2026)
By Nicholas Dodemaide, Director · Updated · 6 min read
RAM costs several times what it did a year ago because AI servers and high-bandwidth memory are absorbing the world's DRAM supply. A 16 Gb DDR5 chip rose from US$8.70 in October 2025 to US$48 in September 2026 on contract. On 15 November 2026 a 64 GB DDR5 desktop kit cost A$1,299 to A$1,699 at Australian retailers, and Team Group expects the tightest supply from Q4 2026 to Q2 2027.
Why is RAM so expensive?
Memory makers have moved factory capacity to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI accelerators, and every AI server also needs terabytes of standard DDR5. Supply of ordinary DRAM has not kept up, so contract prices, which set what distributors and retailers pay, have risen month after month since late 2025.
“even money can't buy goods”
RAM prices in Australia right now
| 64 GB DDR5 kit (2 x 32 GB) | Price incl. GST | Retailer |
|---|---|---|
| Corsair Vengeance DDR5-5200 C40 | A$1,299.00 | PLE Computers |
| Lexar DDR5-6000 UDIMM | A$1,498.99 | MegaBuy |
| Crucial Pro DDR5-5600 | A$1,499.00 | Computer Alliance |
| KLEVV Cras V RGB DDR5-6000 | A$1,599.00 | Computer Alliance |
| Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 | A$1,699.00 | Computer Alliance |
| Crucial 64 GB DDR5-4800 (notebook SO-DIMM) | A$1,099.00 | Landmark Computers |
How big the rise has been
| Indicator | Figure | As at |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Gb DDR5 chip, contract price | US$8.70 rising to US$48 (up about 450%) | Oct 2025 to Sep 2026 |
| 32 GB DDR5 server RDIMM, spot | about US$2,185 | October 2026 |
| PC DRAM contract prices, forecast | up 13% to 18% | Q4 2026 |
| Australian Google searches for 'ram prices' | peaked at about 27,100 a month | December 2025 |
When will RAM prices go down?
Not soon, on current forecasts. Team Group said on 2 November 2026 that the shortage has not peaked and will be tightest from Q4 2026 to Q2 2027. Spot prices do wobble week to week (a 32 GB server RDIMM dipped about 6% on 2 November), but contract prices are still rising, and new fabrication capacity takes years to build.
How to buy RAM in a shortage
- Buy memory with the rest of the build. A system waiting on memory is the most common delay this year.
- Fill every memory channel with smaller modules rather than half the channels with larger ones; it is faster and often easier to source.
- Accept equivalent modules from more than one maker where your board or server supports them.
- Get a price hold in writing. Most memory quotes in this market are valid for days, not weeks.
Methodology: how we collected these prices
We read StaticICE's Australian listings for 64 GB DDR5 kits on 15 November 2026 and recorded the cheapest desktop and notebook kits with their retailers. Prices include GST and change daily; this is a dated snapshot, not a live feed. Search volumes are Google Ads estimates for Australia, retrieved the same day.
Common questions
- Why is RAM so expensive right now?
- AI servers and high-bandwidth memory for AI chips are absorbing DRAM supply. The contract price of a 16 Gb DDR5 chip rose about 450% between October 2025 and September 2026.
- Will RAM prices go down in 2027?
- Not in the first half on current forecasts. Team Group expects the tightest supply from Q4 2026 to Q2 2027.
- How much is 64 GB of DDR5 in Australia?
- On 15 November 2026, 64 GB desktop DDR5 kits listed from A$1,299 to A$1,699 including GST at Australian retailers.
- Are Chinese-made DDR5 modules cheaper?
- Not at the moment. 2026 reporting shows modules with CXMT chips priced at or above Samsung and SK hynix equivalents.