Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops • Hacker News Board

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#181

Post by esseph » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 2:34 AM UTC

eikenberry wrote: post #82

esseph wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crucial was shut down so they could focus on selling more ram to hyperscalers. That happened because of the state of things. Prices are not expected to recover until 2028.

What is this estimation based on? I'd think once the bubble pops pricing would start to return to normal levels and the general consensus seems to think the bubble won't last that long.

"once the bubble pops" people probably won't be interested in buying RAM.

If you would have asked me 5 years ago this wouldn't even become a bubble. I'm still amazed it did. It really taught me how much of the modern economy is just grift.

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#182

Post by wpm » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 3:22 AM UTC

beeflet wrote: post #156

pmdr wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a dystopia no one really thought about. A handful of people anointed to spend borrowed money on a (so far unprofitable) quest to destabilize the world's economy, alienate the working class and make everything we've enjoyed the past 15-20 years a luxury.

a dystopian world in which computer memory is sort of expensive, god save us

Memory today

Water tomorrow

This is the natural consequence of letting individual psychos control more money than most world economies.

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#183

Post by bicepjai » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 3:25 AM UTC

Given that major memory manufacturers are abandoning consumer RAM production to focus on HBM for AI data centers, can we make a prediction that HBM prices will eventually fall enough to make it viable for consumer hardware?

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#184

Post by ethbr1 » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 3:49 AM UTC

reaperducer wrote: post #162

beeflet wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a dystopian world in which computer memory is sort of expensive, god save us

Maybe programmers will have to start making their programs efficient again. Maybe OpenAI's RAM monopoly is what kills Electron.

1. Man creates apps

2. Browser destroys apps

3. Browser creates apps

4. AI destroys browser apps

...

5. AI eats all memory

6. Forth inherits the Earth

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#185

Post by adastra22 » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 4:46 AM UTC

asa400 wrote: post #172

redserk wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps a quantity below "a single company causes enough of a spike in global demand that it'll have demonstrable impact in nearly every single industry" And usually trade regulators would be the entity to start being concerned. I assume you're on a quest to assert a "let a completely unregulated free market roar" position, but do recognize that global supply issues of critical components have negative market effects…

> I assume you're on a quest to assert a "let a completely unregulated free market roar" position No. I’m genuinely curious, because I agree with you about how critical these components are. I ask because it doesn’t seem to me like the answers are immediately straightforward and wanted to hear serious replies to those questions.

How much is too much? It’s like porn: you know it when you see it.

Basically one company (or a cabal of companies) shouldn’t be allowed to exert enough market-moving pressure on inventories as to disrupt other industries depending on this supply.

Sam Altman masterfully negotiated a guaranteed supply of chips for OpenAI, and there is nothing wrong with that, by itself. But there are now a dozen other industries getting rekked as collateral damage, and that shouldn’t be something one man or one company can do.

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#186

Post by Palmik » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 4:49 AM UTC

acephal wrote: post #49

Altman should be jailed for this. Single-handedly crashing consumer spending in an entire sector of the economy. At the very least for the reason that that was supposed to happen _after_ they had the AI in hand to supplant majority white collar labor, not before.

Jailed for what? Apple routinely buys out majority of TSMC's production capacity (at the bleeding edge), should Tím Cook go to jail?

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#187

Post by Suppafly » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 4:58 AM UTC

It's not like Framework is choosing to do this just to screw consumers, their suppliers are raising the prices on them, so those increases have to pass through to the consumers.

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#188

Post by Der_Einzige » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 4:59 AM UTC

Palmik wrote: post #186

acephal wrote: post #49

Altman should be jailed for this. Single-handedly crashing consumer spending in an entire sector of the economy. At the very least for the reason that that was supposed to happen _after_ they had the AI in hand to supplant majority white collar labor, not before.

Jailed for what? Apple routinely buys out majority of TSMC's production capacity (at the bleeding edge), should Tím Cook go to jail?

A surprising amount of people are gleefully happy to have their perceived enemies put in jail or worse even if and especially if there was no legitimate justification for it.

A lot of people on HN dislike Tim Cook for various reasons and many would literally “sacrifice” him just to get Apple to stop being so anti-consumer.

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#189

Post by zrm » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 4:59 AM UTC

Computer0 wrote: post #140

zrm wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The price difference in terms of manufacturing cost is immaterial. But if people can't afford a machine with 32GB anymore then they're going to suffer one with 8GB knowing from the outset that it's not enough and then have a strong preference for the ability to upgrade it later when prices come back down or they get more money.

Do most people know what the bottlenecks of their computing experience are?

Most people have access to the internet where you can ask people what they recommend if you don't know yourself.

Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops

#190

Post by hodgehog11 » Sat, Dec 13, 2025, 5:38 AM UTC

back_to_basics wrote: post #178

hodgehog11 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always, it's the intent that matters. For the sake of argument, what if Amazon decided tomorrow that they would secure exclusive contracts with all food suppliers and then hoard all the food to starve out the people they don't want to have it? Or at least, drive up the price of food so it becomes completely unaffordable? I know people can simply grow their own food so it's a bit different, but hopefully it gets th…

"As always, it's the intent that matters." That's certainly not a universal Legal Standard. If I'm harmed, but you didn't "intend" to harm me, does that nullify my Claim? Hardly.

IANAL, but yes, I believe it can nullify the claim. Bumping into someone on the sidewalk is only battery if the prosecution demonstrates intent to harm.