My question is, will the ram price go down at some point or is it a point of no return?
Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
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Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#82Yikes, I hadn’t realized this was that big of a problem. The same exact G.skill z5 64Gb ram I bought 4 years ago is well on its way to being double the price. Does this have more to do with Crucial ending consumer product lines or tariffs?
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.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
The state of things...meaning AI companies buying up the world's supply of RAM
Yes. AI companies will continue to buy up all the RAM so you and I have to pay the cost for it. They will also eat up all the energy so you and I have to pay more for energy. They will also then try and put you and I out of a job. And if they fail to do so, they will then get your and my tax dollars to bail them out. There should be real AI research and technology development, but the way it’s being done right now is…
We need to figure out how AI can use housing and food to complete resource exhaustion. You forgot to include AI water consumption.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#84What's wild is OpenAI doubling down on hyperscaling when it's obvious that the gains from pre-training are coming to an end. They seem determined to just go out in flames...
What other option do they have? This is a "the horse might sing" situation for the whole market that focused on breakthrough-level results (AGI, ASI, or even just "not going off the rails after the third response").
So if it "works" out for OpenAI, not only do they have all the ram, power, water but they also have all the jobs.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#85Work is skipping server, desktop, and laptop buys that were planned for 2026. Guess I am going to be fixing and patching a lot more often next year.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#86My question is, will the ram price go down at some point or is it a point of no return?
Yes, it will go back down eventually.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is because OpenAI bought 40% of the world’s production capacity overnight. RAM is like toilet paper during Covid now.
And also because Korean companies apparently fear US retribution if they start producing DDR4. I don't feel like "OpenAI bought half the supply" tells the entire story when the companies that used to produce DDR4 with the left over machines no longer dare to do so. Probably the prices wouldn't spike as they're doing right now if the ones who used to produce the older RAM generations actually continued doing so.
What do you mean by this? From everything I can find points towards other companies winding down DDR4 production because of China's cheaper DDR4 production lines.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#88There's an errant thing at the back of my mind, I can't help but wonder if this ram shortage could revive the ram dimm as a concept as so many manufacturers were adopting the soldered-ram approach. I'm sure though this won't come to pass
Retail DIMMs are more expensive than soldered RAM so that just makes things worse.
Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#89Altman 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.
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Re: Framework Raises DDR5 Memory Prices by 50% for DIY Laptops
#90It seems the only thing that could break this is the off chance that the SCOTUS rules that the tariffs are illegal and/or Congress strips the Presidency of the power they gave it in utters incompetence many decades ago. I’m thinking with sufficient pressure by all tech interested people it could become an issue in the midterms and even force Trump to sign agreements not to tariff RAM by Korean producers who could ram…
Tariffs aren't the problem.