“RAMageddon” started as a joke among PC builders in late 2025. By 2026 it was a real budget problem for anyone who needs a powerful computer, and few people need memory more than video editors. A 4K multicam timeline, a colour grade with noise reduction or an 8K RAW project can use tens of gigabytes at once.
What happened to RAM prices?
Three memory makers, Samsung, SK hynix and Micron, produce almost all of the world’s DRAM. AI accelerators need huge amounts of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and server memory, and those orders pay better. So manufacturers moved production capacity towards AI customers, leaving less for the desktop memory that goes into editing PCs.
IDC expects data centres to absorb about 70% of global memory output in 2026. Supply isn’t growing fast enough to make up the gap: IDC projects DRAM supply growth of 16% this year, below the usual 20–30%. TrendForce reported that conventional DRAM contract prices rose 90–95% in a single quarter, Q1 2026.
How much more editors are paying
Tom’s Hardware RAM price index, lowest current US prices, updated 19 October 2026.
The same pressure has spread to other parts. Tom’s Hardware found SSD prices up about 220% in a year by July 2026, with a popular 2TB drive going from $113 to about $363. Apple raised prices on most Macs on 25 June 2026, and HP said memory now makes up about 35% of a laptop’s material cost.
Why video editors feel it more than most
A typical office PC runs happily on 16GB. Video editing is different. Adobe recommends 32GB or more for 4K and higher in Premiere Pro, and many studios cutting multicam weddings or commercials run 64GB. Blackmagic lists 32GB for DaVinci Resolve when using Fusion, and 16GB of graphics memory for its advanced AI tools.
That means editors buy in exactly the capacity range where prices rose most. Moving a seat from 32GB to 64GB now costs close to $1,000 on its own, and higher-capacity kits have risen even more in percentage terms.
When will RAM prices go down?
Not soon, if the industry’s own forecasts are right. TrendForce’s September 2026 report expects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise another 10–15% in Q4 2026, and expects PC memory to get an even smaller share of capacity in 2027. SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung told Bloomberg in July 2026 that the shortage could last beyond 2030, and Intel’s CEO has said there is no relief until 2028.
New memory factories are being built, and prices can fall quickly once supply catches up. But for planning purposes, most studios should assume memory stays expensive through at least 2027.
What video editors can do now
Use proxies
Editing with lightweight proxy files lets a 32GB machine cut 4K and 6K smoothly. Switch back to full-resolution media only for grading and export.
Buy only the memory you need
If you edit HD and light 4K, 32GB is enough. Don’t buy 128GB “for the future” at today’s prices.
Check before you buy
Watch Task Manager or Activity Monitor during a heavy edit. If you’re not running out of memory, more RAM won’t help.
Keep older machines working
A 2–3 year old workstation with proxies is often still fine for editing, even if it struggles with full-resolution playback.
Outsource the projects that need the most memory
8K, RAW and long multicam jobs are where memory costs bite hardest. Sending those to an outsourcing partner can be cheaper than upgrading, as our upgrade vs outsource comparison shows.
Common questions
Sources: Tom’s Hardware, RAM price index 2026 (19 October 2026) and SSD pricing report (29 July 2026); TrendForce via Guru3D, Q4 2026 DRAM forecast (30 September 2026); IDC, TrendForce, Bloomberg and HP figures as reported by Tech Insider (July 2026); Wccftech, Apple price increases (25 June 2026); Adobe, Premiere Pro technical requirements; iFilmThings summary of Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve 21 requirements.
