The DRAM supply has tightened and sharp rises in contract prices are expected in Q3, says TrendForce.

Consumer DRAM prices which rose 18-23% in Q2 are expected to rise 85-90% in Q3.

PC DRAM – up 13-18% in Q2 is expected to rise 38-43% in Q3

Server DRAM – up 18-23% in Q2 is expected to rise 28-33% in Q3

Mobile DRAM – fairly stable in Q2 is expected to go up 38-43% for LPDDR4 and 10-15% for LPDDR5.

DDR4 will remain in a persistent state of undersupply and strong price growth through 2H25.

DRAM supply tightens as prices soar

Server demand is putting the squeeze on PC and consumer forcing PC OEMs to accelerate DDR5 adoption. PC demand cannot be met. In July, prices for 8GB PC DDR4 modules overtook DDR5 modules of the same capacity in a rare price inversion. Many PC OEMs, unable to secure sufficient supply, have been forced to scale back production plans for DDR4 models and increase the share of DDR5-based systems.

Overall, DDR4 in the PC market has entered a phase of high prices coupled with low volume, and the gradual phase-out of DDR4 in new models has become an inevitable trend.

DDR4 has become standard in next-generation data centers for AI computing and high-efficiency data processing, prompting CSPs to place intensive follow-up orders with the top three major DRAM suppliers. Manufacturers are prioritizing server orders over other applications. TrendForce expects DDR4 demand in the server market to ease gradually as DDR5 penetration increases further in 2026.

Compared with PC and server segments, supply in the consumer DRAM market is even more constrained. This segment—covering applications such as industrial control, networking, TVs, consumer electronics, and controllers—mainly uses DDR4, which ranks behind PC and server applications in suppliers’ allocation priorities.

For LPDDR4X, widely used in mainstream and entry-level smartphones, the market is facing intensified supply concerns as U.S. and Korean suppliers plan to reduce or halt LPDDR4X output between 2025 and 2026.

LPPDR5X overall bit supply is expanding thanks to continued process migration. LPDDR5X is now used not only in mid- to high-end smartphones but also in notebooks and AI servers.

By: DocMemory
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