DDR5 Memory Pricing Trends & Procurement Advice for H2 2026

The DRAM industry enters H2 2026 at a turning point. Driven by enterprise refresh cycles and AI training compute demand, DDR5 RDIMM prices have stabilized after 18 months of decline — and may begin a mild upward trend by year-end. This article breaks down the drivers, the supply landscape across Micron, Samsung, Hynix, and offers a practical procurement playbook for IT decision-makers.

Supply Landscape

The big three DRAM suppliers have shifted significant capacity from DDR4 to DDR5 production lines. Micron’s Hiroshima and Samsung’s Pyeongtaek Hwaseong fabs are now running at over 70% DDR5 mix. Total DDR5 capacity is up ~38% YoY, but demand has grown even faster.