Storage prices hit new highs as AI demand intensifies supply squeeze

ComputerBase reports a surge in RAM, HDDs, and SSDs prices to record levels amid ongoing shortages driven by AI industry demand, with further increases anticipated in the coming months.

ComputerBase’s latest monthly check shows that prices for RAM, hard drives and SSDs all moved higher again in mid-August, setting fresh highs across every major storage category. The steepest rise remains in system memory, where the pressure on buyers is most severe.

According to ComputerBase, RAM is now 345% more expensive than at the starting point in mid-September 2025, edging above the previous peak of 344% reached in January. That follows a brief easing earlier in the year, but the broader trend has turned decisively upwards again.

Hard drives have also become markedly dearer. ComputerBase puts HDD prices 129% above their September 2025 level, four percentage points higher than in mid-July. SSDs have tracked a similar path, though at a slightly lower pace, with prices now 126% above the baseline after an eight-point jump over the past month.

The publication attributes the strain to a wider shortage in memory chips that is being felt across the technology industry. Tom’s Hardware has reported that AI-related demand is squeezing supply, with manufacturers redirecting capacity towards enterprise memory and high-bandwidth memory. TrendForce, as cited by Tom’s Hardware, expects further increases in the third quarter of 2026, though at a slower rate than the sharp gains seen earlier this year.

ComputerBase said its analysis is based on the dozen most popular storage products in its price comparison database from mid-October 2025, using average percentage changes for each category. It excludes eBay sellers and marketplace listings, arguing that such offers can distort the market picture and carry a greater risk of unreliable delivery.