Lenovo declares a 'new normal' for higher memory pricing in the 2030s, while Microsoft forecasts prices to double again in a year

Date:
Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
The RAM crisis could get a lot worse over the next few years if Lenovo and Microsoft are right and I can easily believe they are.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Lenovo has said that RAM prices will likely "never" fall back to pre-crisis levels The company also predicted a "new normal" for memory pricing from 2030 onwards Microsoft expects the
cost of memory to double in just over a year If you were hoping we might get to the weekend without any more bad news on the RAM front , that hope is
about to be crushed courtesy of Lenovo and Microsoft and there's a side serving of blame for Apple , too.

First off, as German tech site ComputerBase reports (via Wccftech ), over at ISC 2026 the high-performance computing, AI, and quantum conference in Germany Lenovo said that RAM prices will likely "never" fall back to the pre-crisis levels of a year ago, even after the bolstering of chip production output that's coming (from 2028 onwards). Lenovo seemingly said "never," accompanied by some on-stage laughter, according to ComputerBase, and the
tech site (bearing in mind translation nuances) clarifies that this is really referring to the next five years (or maybe a bit more) for the RAM industry, and not an 'absolute' future. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

However, the report then goes on to mention that Lenovo sees a "new normal" from 2030 onwards with significantly higher prices than pre-crisis levels even given increased production.

On top of that, Microsoft just announced hefty price increases for Xbox consoles driven by the RAM crisis. The firm stated , "Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x, and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027." You may like Memory expert predicts huge RAM price hikes over the rest of 2026 AMD exec predicts that DDR5 RAM pricing won't normalize until 2028 RAM crisis strikes again Microsoft
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Ouch. Microsoft underlined that the memory price hikes are especially painful for console makers, as these devices are typically sold at a (slight) loss,
as the revenue is made up in game sales (and subscriptions).

Lastly, Wccftech also spotted that Micron has fired some flak at Apple, although the memory chip maker didn't name Tim Cook 's firm specifically, but it's clear enough where the shot was aimed. As Rolfe Winkler, who reports for the Wall Street Journal, explains in a post on X : "Tim Cook says the memory guys are at fault for Apple raising prices . A Micron executive I interviewed last night pointed the finger right back." Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Sumit Sadana, who is Chief Business Officer at Micron, informed Winkler, "We told a couple of the customers who were being very aggressive with pricing at that time that this is not constructive." The argument here might be that partners (presumably Apple) pressing Micron on the price of their RAM hurt Micron's bottom line and ability to invest in more production capacity. Analysis: double, double toil and trouble (Image credit: fizkes / Shutterstock) Although it's difficult to weigh up the exact meaning of Lenovo's comments on the RAM crisis at ISC, it's clear enough that the PC giant believes the future looks very rocky. At best, pricing looks like it's in trouble until the early 2030s, and there's likely to be a 'new normal' coming into play here for that next decade.

While there appears to be some joking around prices "never" coming back down to the levels they were before the crisis, I think there's a fair chance that they actually won't. When the cost of a product goes up to such an extent as we've seen with RAM (and storage), it's feasible that it won't ever quite normalize. Okay, so maybe we'll see some curveballs that throw things out of whack like the AI bubble bursting, or at least deflating a good deal but
I'm increasingly doubtful about the prospect of any relief. What to read next Apple warns on RAM pricing and Samsung echoes those sentiments We may only have a year of the RAM crisis left if ex-Samsung boss is right RAM crisis reaches new heights and our only hope is a consumer rebellion

Microsoft predicting a further doubling of memory pricing in not much more than a year is a painful prediction to hear, too.

I'm not going to dive full-tilt into the gloom here, though, because as I've said before, at least in the consumer space, RAM prices can only go so high before a ceiling is hit, which means most people will simply refuse to pay
the asking prices. And thankfully, there have also been a couple of glimmers of hope this week : Asus predicted that its products won't be hiked by as
much in the second half of 2026 (but they'll still go up), and there was a rumor aired that memory chip giant SK Hynix may switch production away from AI-targeted RAM (HBM) to conventional RAM sticks, at least to an extent.

I wouldn't get swept away with any optimism just yet, though, because for
now, as these latest developments in the memory crisis underline, the pervading sentiment around the future remains largely negative. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/memory/lenovo-declares-a-new-normal-for-hi gher-memory-pricing-in-the-2030s-while-microsoft-forecasts-prices-to-double-ag ain-in-a-year


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