[News] DDR4, DDR5 October Prices to See Double-Digit Gains; Taiwan’s DRAM Makers Poised to Benefit

According to Commercial Times, the global memory market continues to see price increases, driven by urgent orders from generative AI and major cloud service providers (CSPs). Industry sources note that both DDR4 and DDR5 contract and spot prices are set to post double-digit gains in October. The report adds that this wave of memory price hikes is expected to persist through the end of 2026.

As the report notes, industry sources indicate that in October DDR5 contract prices will rise by 10–15%, with spot prices climbing 15–25%. DDR4 contract prices are expected to increase by more than 10%, while spot prices are projected to jump over 15%. With supply tightening, the report adds, spot prices could rise even further.

Regarding the reasons for the price hikes, industry sources note that strong demand from AI applications is driving NAND and enterprise SSD (eSSD) orders, sustaining upward price momentum through the fourth quarter of 2025. Among them, eSSDs are estimated to see quarterly price increases of 5% to 10%.

Secondly, as the report states, the supply gap for DDR4 has far exceeded expectations. Even with Samsung and SK hynix delaying end-of-life (EOL) production, the market shortfall is still estimated at 10% to 15% from the fourth quarter of 2025 through the second quarter of 2026, with a current gap already at 2%.

Notably, as the report points out, major DRAM makers are concentrating capacity on DDR5, further tightening DDR4 supply. This has pushed contract prices closer to spot levels and is expected to keep the uptrend going through the end of 2026.

Among Taiwanese manufacturers benefiting from this trend, institutional investors cited by the report expect Nanya Technology to gain the most. The report adds that Winbond and Powerchip are also benefiting as DDR4 contract prices narrow the gap with spot prices.

As highlighted by MoneyDJ, Nanya Technology stated at its recent earnings call that to meet DDR4 market demand, the company has adjusted its capacity. DDR4 and LPDDR4 products now account for over 50% of total shipments, DDR3 and LPDDR3 about 20%, with the remainder being DDR5.

TrendForce’s latest findings also reveal that the DDR4 market is set to remain in a persistent state of undersupply and strong price growth through 2H25.

Notably, supply in the consumer DRAM market is even tighter than in PC and server segments, according to TrendForce. This segment—covering industrial control, networking, TVs, and consumer electronics—relies mainly on DDR4, which suppliers prioritize behind PC and server demand. TrendForce data shows July consumer DDR4 contract prices already jumped 60–85%, prompting a sharp upward revision for 3Q25 to a quarterly increase of 85–90%.

Read more

• [News] Taiwan DRAM Makers Reportedly Eye 20-50% Q4 Contract Price Hikes amid DDR4 Supply Squeeze
• DDR4 and LPDDR4 Supply Tightens Sharply in 2H25 as Structural Shortage Drives Strong Price Surge, Says TrendForce

(Photo credit: Nanya Technology)