How to Get Around the Memory Shortage
•February 27, 2026
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Why It Matters
The memory shortage inflates overall PC build costs, forcing consumers and builders to adapt purchasing strategies or risk overspending.
Key Takeaways
- •Global DRAM shortage drives memory prices sharply higher than last year.
- •Updated mid‑tier build now costs about $1,660 versus $1,300 previously.
- •DDR5 6000 MHz kits still near $400, despite slight price drops.
- •Consider DDR4 builds, combo deals, or used market to cut costs.
- •Opt for 1 TB NVMe SSDs for better value amid storage scarcity.
Summary
In this episode of Build Fix, Paul addresses the ongoing global DRAM shortage and its ripple effect on PC component pricing, showing why building a new system has become significantly more expensive.
He compares a mid‑tier AM5 build from August 2025—originally $1,300—to today’s market, where the same configuration climbs to roughly $1,660. Memory is the biggest driver, with a 32 GB DDR5‑6000 kit jumping from $100 to nearly $400, while the RTX 560 Ti 16 GB GPU has more than doubled to $2,300.
Paul highlights specific examples: the 9600X CPU is slightly cheaper, the motherboard and PSU have modest drops, but the memory and GPU price spikes dominate the total. He also points out that a 1 TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD now costs about $130, offering better performance per dollar than older 2 TB Gen 3 drives.
To navigate the shortage, he recommends three tactics—switching to DDR4 builds or upgrading existing systems, hunting combo bundles that pair RAM with CPUs, and scouring the used market for undervalued parts. These approaches can keep a mid‑range gaming PC within reach despite inflated component costs.
Original Description
How to Get Around the Memory Shortage - Build Fix 24
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Build Fix is Powered by PCPartPicker: https://pcpartpicker.com/?ref=paulshardware
► TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Welcome to Build Fix Episode 24 - Powered by PCPartPicker
1:40 How Build Fix Works
2:10 Build 1 - The Ideal Mid-range PC: Aug 2025 vs Feb 2026 Price Comparison
11:53 Getting around the Memory Shortage: Upgrade a DDR4 Build
17:32 Getting around the Memory Shortage: Shop pre-built systems / combo deals
18:52 Getting around the Memory Shortage: Scour the used PC hardware market
BUILD 1
August 2025 Build (was $1300-$1400)
Updated Aug 2025 Build (Feb 2026, now ~$1700)
Build Fix 18 - Aug 2025
BUILD 2+
How to get around the Memory Shortage
1: Upgrade a DDR4 Build
2: Shop pre-built systems / combo deals
3: Scour the used PC hardware market
Tom’s Hardware / Newegg 9850X3D Combo Deal - https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/score-a-massive-usd350-saving-on-an-amd-ryzen-7-9850x3d-with-32gb-of-ddr5-ram-now-just-usd650-epic-newegg-combo-matches-the-worlds-fastest-gaming-cpu-with-high-speed-memory-for-your-next-gaming-pc-build
Prebuilt Options -
PSU Tier List (maintained by ZTT Community) -
Please note that links above may be affiliate links -- if you click them and make a qualifying purchase I earn a commission.
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► Edited by Joe Aguilar - ShaostylePostProductions
Audio file(s) provided by Epidemic Sound
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