The AI gold rush is warping prices in unexpected ways. A 4TB DDR5 server memory kit now sells for more than some sports cars and luxury SUVs, a stark reminder of just how intense the demand, and how limited the supply, has become.
Nemix, a U.S.-based supplier serving government agencies and contractors, is advertising a 4TB PC5-51200 DDR5 memory kit for $77,000. The package includes sixteen 256GB ECC RDIMMs clocked at 6,400 MT/s. To put that figure in context, it surpasses the starting price of a Porsche 718 Cayman and easily outpaces vehicles like the Range Rover Evoque and even a base Land Rover Defender 110.
This pricing surge isn’t limited to a single vendor. On Amazon, configurations of the same high-density modules show the extreme premium for capacity:
- A single 64GB DIMM starts at $99.
- A 2TB kit (8 x 256GB) is listed at $38,999.
- Another 2TB kit in an 8 x 128GB configuration is priced at $45,999.
Price-tracking data from CamelCamelCamel shows just how quickly costs are climbing. A 2TB kit now priced at $38,999 was selling for $32,997.49 in late November, a jump of nearly 20% in under a month.
It’s important to note that these memory kits are built for ultra-high-end servers running data centers and AI training workloads, not consumer PCs. They sit at the very top of the capacity spectrum. The pressure is concentrated on DDR5, while DDR4 remains comparatively attainable; a 2TB DDR4 kit from Nemix, for instance, is listed at $13,468, far below its DDR5 equivalent.
The surge in prices is a clear byproduct of soaring demand for high-performance DRAM used to train and operate large AI models. An industry-wide rush to secure supply has driven memory costs to record levels. Analysts say the pressure is unlikely to ease soon, as PC makers and system builders increasingly resort to panic-buying to lock in inventory.
A recent IDC study warns that if shortages continue, prices for PCs and smartphones could jump by around 8% next year, with the memory crunch forecasted to extend well into 2027.
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