DDR5 shortage April 2026: price, stock and WhereIsMyRam data by region

€309. That's the starting price for a 32GB DDR5 kit (2×16) 6000MHz CL30 in Europe on April 20, 2026. A year ago, this same kit cost between €70 and €90. You read that right: prices have quadrupled.

Since the end of 2025, the RAM market has been going through its worst crisis in ten years. The causes are known - delirious AI demand, insufficient production, manufacturers prioritizing server contracts - but the consequences vary from one month to the next. And April 2026 marks a turning point.

We peeled the data from WhereIsMyRam.com as of April 20 for six regions (France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, USA, United Kingdom), crossed with TrendForce reports and manufacturers' announcements. Here is the real situation, no beating around the bush.

No need to look for a single culprit. The DDR5 shortage is structural , and four factors feed off each other.

Artificial intelligence eats everything. Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft — hyperscalers are buying DRAM in millions of modules for their AI training data centers. SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron are receiving long-term contracts with margins of +300% compared to retail. As a result: when there are chips left for gaming kits, it's just crumbs. According to TrendForce, AI is expected to absorb 20% of the global DRAM production by the end of 2026, while production capacity is only increasing by 16% per year.

The contract prices are skyrocketing. DRAM contract prices (what kit manufacturers like Corsair or Kingston pay) have surged by 55 to 60% in Q1 2026 compared to Q4 2025. And TrendForce predicts a further increase of 58 to 63% in Q2 2026. In other words, even if the retail price remains unchanged, distributor margins are being squeezed. They have no interest in lowering prices.

The transition from DDR4 to DDR5 is accelerating at the worst possible moment. Fabs are reducing their DDR4 production to switch to DDR5, except that DDR5 is first heading to servers. A 32GB DDR4 now costs €150+, compared to €90 a year ago. In short, whether you stay in DDR4 or switch to DDR5, you pay.

The new factories, it's not for tomorrow. Micron has confirmed that its new production lines will only have a real impact on the market in 2028. ASUS announced its intention to produce its own DDR5 by the end of Q2 2026 — an investment of 10 billion — but it's a gamble, not a short-term solution. On the Chinese side, CXMT aims for 10% of global DRAM production by the end of 2026, which could slightly ease the supply. Maybe.

Good news regarding: in Europe, DDR5 prices are slightly decreasing. France shows -1.6% over 7 days and -1.4% over 30 days. The Netherlands follow with -1.2% over 7 days. It's not free fall, but it's the right direction.

What is reassuring above all is the stock. Over 3,100 DDR5 references in circulation in France, the same in the Netherlands. We're talking about all variations — CL28, CL30, CL36, different capacities, premium and entry-level brands — but that means there is a choice. You don't end up buying the only kit available at a crazy price.

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The French market presents an interesting paradox: the minimum price of CL30 kits remains fixed at €309 (the same in Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands), but the price average varies. 555€ in France compared to 553€ in the Netherlands. The difference comes from high-end kits: RGB, fancy heat sinks, high frequencies. If you aim for the lower end, it's the same.

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Germany plays its role as the largest European market with 3,294 references in stock, but prices hardly move (-0.1% over 7 days, +0.3% over 30 days). Classic plateau. Spain, same observation with slightly less stock (2,852 references).

Nothing alarming, nothing joyful. If you are in Germany and you buy from Mindfactory or Alternate, you will have the same minimum price of 309€ as in France. No particular reason to do cross-border in the eurozone.

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538 DDR5 references in stock in the USA. For a market of 330 million people. That's six times less than in France for ten times the population.

The weird thing: prices drop sharply over 30 days (-4.8%), but rise slightly over 7 days (+0.6%). What we see here is the end of clearance sales. American retailers (Newegg, Amazon US, Best Buy) have sold out their discounted DDR5 stock, and now there is almost nothing left. Last week's rebound - +0.6% - is the beginning of the rise.

Only 39 references CL30 6000 MHz available. For the whole country. The floor price is $400 (approximately €368), so even in dollars the advantage is zero compared to Europe once customs fees are added.

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The UK is the only region where DDR5 prices are rising: +3.2% in 7 days, +0.9% in 30 days. With 885 references in stock, it is significantly less supplied than the continent.

Post-Brexit obliges, logistics flows between the EU and the United Kingdom remain complicated. UK distributors (Scan, Overclockers UK, CCL) have less access to European stocks, and direct sourcing from Asia is more expensive than before. The result is an isolated market that follows its own rules.

Only positive point: CL36 kits collapsing (-14.9% over 30 days in the UK). It's an aggressive clearance. If you are based in the United Kingdom and CL36 suits you, this is probably the best buying window of the year.

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This is the kit everyone is looking for. The one that fits in 90% of AM5 or LGA 1851 gaming setups. Benchmarks are clear: 6000 MHz CL30 is the sweet spot where you gain the most FPS per euro invested in memory. Beyond that, the gains are marginal. Below that, you leave performance on the table.

€309 everywhere in the euro area. Same floor price in France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. This is no coincidence: European distributors align themselves with an implicit floor. No one wants to break the price below because margins are already squeezed by supply costs.

But be careful with the price average : between 553€ in the Netherlands and 572€ in Spain. The majority of kits in stock are not at 309€; it is the RGB variants, high frequency, or premium brands that pull the average up. To find a kit at 309€, you generally have to go for Kingston FURY Beast, entry-level Corsair Vengeance, or G.Skill Ripjaws without RGB.

346€ instead of 309€. Yes, the CL36 costs more expensive that the CL30 at the lowest price. Counterintuitive, but logical: the CL30 kits at €309 are loss leaders that distributors keep in minimum stock. The CL36 has more references (297 in France compared to 212 for the CL30) because there are more brands and variants in this segment.

Where the CL36 shines is in the trend: -1.9% over 30 days in France, -1.3% in the Netherlands. Prices are dropping faster than the CL30. And in gaming, the difference between CL30 and CL36 at 6000 MHz? Between 1 and 3 FPS at 1440p depending on the games. Honestly, for office work, video editing, or streaming, the CL36 is more than enough.

399€ in France, 379€ in the Netherlands. Only 56 references in stock. It's niche, but the good news is that prices are collapsing: -7.7% in 7 days in France, -9.6% in 30 days in the Netherlands. CL28 kits are the last to find takers in a shortage — buyers prioritize raw price over CAS timing. As a result, stocks accumulate and prices correct. If you want CL28 for overclocking or benchmarking, now is the time.

Buy. Seriously. Waiting 3 months to save 10 to 20€ on a kit is like playing roulette. DRAM contract prices continue to rise in Q2 2026 (+58 to 63% according to TrendForce), which means distributors will eventually pass on the increase. The slight current drop in France and the Netherlands - maybe it's the calm before the next wave.

The aiming kit: DDR5 2×16 GB 6000 MHz CL30 at €309. This is the European floor. If you want to save money and CL36 suits you, €346 with a downward trend is not bad either.

The coming months remain uncertain. Some encouraging signs:

• ASUS getting into DDR5 production (end of T2 2026, investment of 10 billion)
• CXMT (Chinese manufacturer) aiming for 10% of the global DRAM production by the end of 2026
• Correction in progress on the CL28 (-7 to -9% per week) that could contaminate segments CL30 and CL36

But analysts remain pessimistic. Micron talks about 2028 for a return to normal. TrendForce does not see significant easing before S2 2027 at the earliest. The AI demand will not slow down — on the contrary.

No. The $400 US (€368) becomes €450-470 once customs duties, shipping, and VAT are added. More expensive than the €309 European. In the UK, Brexit makes all imports complicated and costly. Stay in the eurozone.

Short term (May-June 2026): Europe should remain stable or decrease slightly (-0.5 to -1% per week). The USA will probably rise once the stock is liquidated. The UK remains unpredictable.

Medium term (July-September 2026): Plateau. The back-to-school season and the back-to-work season can create a temporary peak in demand. No big surprise in one way or the other.

Long term (end 2026 - 2027): This is where it's happening. If ASUS, CXMT, and the new Micron lines deliver on their promises, we could see 32GB DDR5 kits drop back to 200-250€ by mid-2027. If AI demand keeps exploding as expected, we'll be stuck above 300€ for another year. Probably a mix of both.

European distributors (LDLC, Mindfactory, Alternate, Amazon, Coolblue) align themselves on a common floor price. This is not necessarily price-fixing in the legal sense: they all buy at the same price from the same wholesalers, and with compressed margins, the final price naturally converges. The result is the same for the consumer: no good deal to be found by comparing regions.

If you already have a DDR4 motherboard (AM4 or LGA 1700 with DDR4 config), yes, keep it. A 32 GB DDR4 kit costs €150+ in 2026, which is still cheaper than the €309 DDR5. But if you are building a new setup on AM5 or LGA 1851, DDR5 is your only option. And no, it's not worth getting an old DDR4 platform just to save €150 on RAM — you lose much more in CPU performance.

This is the best public source to follow DDR5 price trends by region. The site scans hundreds of retailers continuously (refresh every few minutes). The data reflects the inventory retail visible — not upstream production or B2B contracts. But for an individual buyer, that's exactly the info you need.

Depends on what you call "normal". The €70 for a 32GB kit is over for a good while. Analysts are expecting €200-250 by mid-2027 at best. Micron mentions 2028 for a return to an oversupply. In the meantime, we are in a seller's market.

Caution. A used DDR5 kit for 250 € instead of 309 € is tempting. But DDR5 is sensitive to binning (quality of the chips): a used CL30 kit may have been pushed beyond its specs by the previous owner, reducing its lifespan. And no manufacturer's warranty on used items. If you take this risk, check the timings carefully with CPU-Z and run MemTest86 for at least 4 hours.

For pure gaming: no. 32 GB is more than enough in 2026, even for the most demanding AAA titles. For 4K editing, heavy 3D (Blender, Unreal Engine 5), or virtual machines: 64 GB becomes relevant. But be prepared: a 2x32 GB 6000 MHz CL36 kit costs around 850-900 € in Europe. Painful.

• WhereIsMyRam.com — price and stock data as of April 20, 2026
• TrendForce — DRAM contract forecasts Q1-Q2 2026
• The Digital — ASUS announces DDR5 production
• Tom's Hardware — RAM Price Index April 2026
• Enerzine — analysis shortage DDR5 France