G.Skill makes some of the most aesthetically pleasing and high-performance RAM kits you can possibly put in your PC, but just like every other RAM supplier, its party has been spoiled by the global DRAM shortage that is driving up prices for far more than just memory.
The company released a short statement on December 16, 2025, explaining its current predicament. The root cause? AI, of course. AI and its unending thirst for DRAM in the massive datacenters that power it.
DRAM prices are experiencing significant industry-wide volatility due to severe global supply constraints and shortages, driven by unprecedented high demand from the AI industry. As a result, G.SKILL procurement and sourcing costs have substantially increased. G.SKILL pricing reflects industry-wide component cost increases from IC suppliers and is subject to change without notice based on market conditions. Purchasers should be mindful of the pricing before purchasing. Thank you.
If you've been monitoring DDR5 RAM prices lately, you probably already know that G.Skill's RAM has seen some of the most aggressive price increases since the DRAM squeeze began.
Its coveted Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 RAM, for example, currently runs at $709.99 at Newegg for a 2x32GB kit. In September, it was selling for about $220. That's more than a 200% increase, and I suspect that we're only getting started with the price spikes.
As G.Skill points out, the price it pays to source DRAM has "substantially increased," which has led to the company being forced to raise its own prices in response. The same sort of response to the shortage is occurring throughout the tech world, and at the root of the cause is AI.
Dell notably announced that it's hiking commercial PC prices by up to 30%, with the effects going into play on December 17. Samsung just announced that it's doubling its RAM prices, while Micron has stated that it's completely exiting the consumer RAM market to focus on serving the AI buildout.
Valve's upcoming Steam Machine certainly looks like it could be in trouble — the company has yet to reveal a price, and the expected early 2026 launch date is approaching — while NVIDIA reportedly plans to cut GeForce RTX production by up to 40% in 2026.
Although not every company has been as straightforward as G.Skill in terms of laying blame at the feet of AI, it is indeed the industry that's seriously harming our beloved hobby of PC building. The worst part? There's no end in sight.
What do you think of G.Skill's announcement and the general crunch around RAM? Will it let up in early 2026, or are we in it for the long haul? How has it affected you? Let us know in the comments!
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