--- title: "South Korean Memory Prices Rise Again! Conventional DRAM and NAND Both Hit Multi-Year Highs" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/294677893.md" description: "In July, prices for conventional DRAM and NAND flash memory both hit multi-year highs. Driven by AI server demand squeezing production capacity, the average price of DDR4 rose to $24, setting a new ATH (All-Time High), while 128Gb MLC NAND surpassed $30. Year-to-date, DDR4 prices have cumulatively risen by over 109%, and NAND prices have more than doubled. TrendForce predicts that DRAM supply tightness may persist until 2027, leading downstream procurement to become more cautious" datetime: "2026-08-03T10:24:43.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/294677893.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294677893.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/294677893.md) --- # South Korean Memory Prices Rise Again! Conventional DRAM and NAND Both Hit Multi-Year Highs Prices for conventional DRAM and NAND flash memory both hit multi-year highs in July. As AI servers continue to capture memory production capacity, the supply of memory chips for traditional PCs and consumer electronics is tightening, and the cycle of rising memory prices has not yet ended. According to data from DRAMeXchange, a subsidiary of TrendForce, cited by Yonhap News Agency, **the average contract price for benchmark 8Gb DDR4 DRAM for PCs rose to $24 in July, a month-on-month increase of 14.3%, hitting an ATH (All-Time High) since statistics began in June 2016**; **the average price of 128Gb MLC NAND rose to $30.05, breaking through the $30 mark for the first time**. TrendForce expects that demand for AI servers and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) will continue to squeeze conventional DRAM production capacity, **with DRAM supply tightness potentially lasting until 2027**; in contrast, **the NAND market is expected to see gradual supply improvement in the second half of 2027 as new capacity comes online.** ## DRAM Doubles Year-to-Date, NAND Cumulatively Rises by Over Two Times **Since the beginning of this year, DDR4 prices have continued to accelerate upward.** Data shows that the average contract price for 8Gb DDR4 rose steadily from $11.5 in January to $24 in July, a cumulative increase of approximately 109%; notably, prices jumped rapidly from $16 to $20 between April and May, and continued to refresh historical highs after entering the third quarter. **NAND price increases have been even more vigorous.** The average price of 128Gb MLC NAND rose from $9.46 in January to $30.05 in July, a cumulative increase of approximately 218%. Among these, Yonhap News Agency cited data showing that prices for some SLC NAND products rose month-on-month by 35% to 51% in July, significantly outperforming the approximate 4% to 8% increase for MLC NAND. As price hikes lasting over a year have significantly pushed up procurement costs, TrendForce pointed out that downstream customers are beginning to adopt a more cautious approach to purchasing. ## AI Servers Continue to "Grab Capacity", Conventional Memory Supply Shrinks The core reason for this round of price increases still stems from the supply side. With the rapid growth in demand for AI servers, memory manufacturers continue to prioritize allocating production capacity to higher-margin products such as HBM, server DRAM, and high-layer 3D NAND, leading to a continuous contraction in the supply of conventional PC DRAM and mature-process NAND. TrendForce expects that **server products will continue to absorb DRAM production capacity in the future, further tightening the supply of PC DRAM.** Although price increases for laptops have begun to suppress terminal demand, suppliers still hold the advantage in price negotiations. The NAND market is showing similar trends. As manufacturers continue to tilt capacity toward enterprise SSDs and high-layer 3D NAND, the supply of conventional NAND products remains tight. Among them, SLC NAND, with its low inventory levels, faces the tightest supply and demand balance, with its price performance significantly stronger than that of MLC products. SLC NAND is widely used in automotive electronics, network equipment, industrial control, and other fields. Risk Warning and Disclaimer The market carries risks, and investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account the specific investment objectives, financial status, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article align with their specific circumstances. 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