Computing Lenovo warns that higher RAM prices are the “new normal” and we might never see them go back down News By Scott Younker published 26 June 2026 Pre-2025 prices are dinosaurs When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works . (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter This year has been plagued by price hikes and skyrocketing RAM prices. Unfortunately, it may be the “new normal” according to Lenovo. At a recent conference, Lenovo said that DRAM and NAND prices will “never” return to pre-2025 levels. And this is despite companies like Micron and SK Hynix building new fabs and adding capacities to try to meet the supply gap. The “never” was apparently presented as a joke, per the German site ComputerBase. The company’s presenter then went on to say that higher prices would be the “new normal” in 2030 and beyond. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: It’s not a comforting statement from a company that has been quite open about the RAM crisis spiking prices and changing their computing strategy. Memory and storage prices have come down a bit since a peak in April, but they’re still hundreds of dollars more expensive than they were a year ago. And we can see the impact on gaming with Xbox raising prices again and Apple issuing broad price increases this week. You may like RAM prices are crashing in huge ‘market correction’: New report shows the crisis may be subsiding as ‘DDR5 retail prices pullback’ PC sales are up, but don’t be fooled — IDC report warns RAMageddon is just getting started From Allbirds’ lunacy to Mediatek’s ‘cautious optimism,’ why I’m finally hopeful about ridiculous RAM prices Shifting blame (Image credit: Tom’s Guide) AI is to blame for the ongoing memory crisis. Datacenters that power large language models and other AI tools are demanding and have bought up most of the capacity of the big three memory manufacturers: Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix. Micron’s chief business officer didn’t blame its biggest customer for the memory shortage this week and instead obliquely hinted that Apple is behind it to the Wall Street Journal . Tom’s Guide: Direct to Your Inbox Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. In his remarks, CBO Sumit Sadana didn’t name the Cupertino giant but suggested that tough supplier negotiations meant the company couldn’t invest in more fabs or capacities. “We told a couple of the customers who were being very aggressive with pricing at that time that this is not constructive. A lot of the industry investments got shut down in 2023 because of really poor pricing and really poor margins,” Sadana told the WSJ. Micron is a memory supplier for Apple, providing DRAM and NAND chips that are used in iPhones, Macs and iPads. Apple has been known to push for long-term purchasing contracts, where other companies might only get short-term six-month to one-year deals. What to read next Want a new PC but hate current prices? Here’s 5 smart ways to build or buy for less ‘No one has a crystal ball’: Lexar execs have a plan to reduce our RAM dependency if the AI data boom lasts ‘for years’ ‘The squeeze is real’: I spoke to RAM crisis oracle, Carmen Li, about when this nightmare ends — here’s what she told me Sadana’s comments surfaced just as Apple announced its price increases. Apple’s outgoing CEO warned about price hikes in an interview with the Wall Street Journal a week ago, calling the shortage a “hundred-year flood.” He pointedly blamed the demand for high-bandwidth memory used in AI servers that shrinks the memory su
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