If you need RAM or storage to boost your computer, now is the time to stock up! After a sharp decline in recent months, the prices of RAM and SSDs will soon start to rise again.
It was to be expected. After a dizzying fall in recent months, the prices of electronic components used for memory and storage should start to rise again. Several Asian manufacturers, such as Team Group, Phison or Adata, which manufacture chips used in RAM sticks, SSDs, memory cards and USB keys, have noted a clear rebound in demand this summer. And they predict that the trend will intensify in the coming months, leading to an inevitable increase in prices, according to the immutable law of the market. According to these specialists, price increases of 10 to 15% can be expected between now and the end of the year. Also, if you need components to boost your computer or back up your personal files on removable media, it’s high time to stock up while prices are still low – and even at an all-time low!
RAM and SSD: overproduction after the shortage
It is 2023, and inflation has spread to all sectors of the economy. All ? No. One area has escaped the terrifying rise in prices that we have seen for over a year. Better: prices are collapsing. This “irreducible village” is that of memory. More precisely, memory components, these small electronic “chips” which are used in our computers. For several weeks, and undoubtedly for a few more months, RAM memory sticks (Ram) and permanent storage systems (SSDs) have seen their prices drop in quite impressive proportions, to the point of reaching levels never seen before. . Examples ? Today, most specialist retailers can find 32 GB Ram kits for less than 80 euros, 16 GB for less than 30 euros, 1 TB SSDs for less than 50 euros and 2 TB models for less than 30 euros. less than 80 euros, including in premium brands like Samsung, Kingston, Corsair, PNY or Crucial. Enough to seriously boost old or recent PCs without breaking the bank. And you have to take advantage of it now!
This recent drop in prices is all the more surprising as it follows a long period of increases. Indeed, in 2020 and 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic and the various lockdowns imposed by governments around the world have sharply increased demand for electronic devices of all kinds, with many consumers seeking to equip themselves with IT, especially for teleworking. And as many factories in China and Asia were closed or idle for the same reasons, supply did not keep up. Classic result: components have become rare and prices have skyrocketed.
But the situation gradually returned to order. And after record results, demand fell and sales weakened in 2022, particularly on smartphones and computers. According to the Gartner institute, specialized in market analysis, PC sales fell by more than 16% between 2021 and 2022, even showing a fall of more than 28% in the fourth quarter of 2022. A finding confirmed by IDC And Canalys, other analysis experts. Even Apple had difficulty selling its Macs, even though they were powered by M1 and M2 chips: the Apple firm saw its computer sales reduce by 40% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022! And we observe the same phenomenon in the telephone market, with global sales down 11% in 2022…
RAM and SSD: prices at the lowest
At the same time, chipmakers kept production high, causing inventories to swell. But without being able to sell everything. And while waiting to find a balance between supply and demand, they have lowered the prices of memory components, in particular DDR4 – used in vivd memory sticks – and NAND Flash – used in SSDs. The downward movement observed at the start of the year has intensified in recent weeks: and it could last several more months in 2023, if we are to believe the analyzes and predictions of the institute TrendForce, which announces upcoming price reductions of 15 to 20% on DDR4 type memory – the more recent and rarer DDR5 is not affected. And SSD chips could follow suit, with similar reductions.
In any case, the prices of these components are already constantly falling among specialized retailers, and in particular online stores like Amazon, AlliExpress, Fnac, Darty, LDLC, Baker, Rakuten and others. We currently find DDR4 memory sticks – and even DDR3, the previous generation –, SSDs – in Sata or M.2 NVMe format – and even USB keys at prices never seen before, as we can see with our some examples. This is the ideal opportunity to stock up and boost recent or old computers at a lower cost, by adding RAM (to go to 8, 16 or even 32 GB), by replacing a hard drive with an SSD (see our practical sheet). Simple operations on desktop computers – and not very complicated on laptops – except on the latest generation Macs, the RAM being integrated into the M1 or M2 SoC. And even if prices can fall further, don’t wait to take advantage of this bargain: you will be much more comfortable to face the future with future versions of operating systems, and collect gigabytes of data without counting …
RAM and SSD: things to check before buying
Please note: some checks are necessary if you want to add RAM or an SSD to your computer before purchasing anything. You must therefore determine the type (format and speed) of usable RAM module (DDR3, DDR4, DIMM, SO-DIMM, etc.), but also the number of free slots as well as the maximum capacity that your processor can manage. Information that you can obtain with specialized (free) software like Speccy or HWiNFO, without even having to open the case. The same goes for SDD drives: most PCs accept Sata models in 2.5-inch format, but only relatively recent computers – less than ten years old – manage SSDs in M.2 NVMe format, in the form of a small electronic card, like a memory stick. And since they come in different lengths, it’s best not to make a mistake!
No worries, however, if you need external storage: whether SSD or memory stick, all products available on the market use the USB interface compatible with all PCs and Macs, regardless of their system operating system – you may need to change file systems (FAT32, NTFS, exFAT, etc.) depending on your needs. Nothing complicated, rest assured!