Scalping bots on DDR5 product pages at one of the major retailers are currently outpacing real buyers by a ratio of 10 to 1. Given the ongoing shortage of DDR5 RAM, this situation comes as no surprise.

According to research, 91% of all traffic to DDR5 RAM pages at a particular retailer now comes exclusively from automated programs. Earlier this year, it was reported that only one in six site visitors was an actual person.

DDR5 RAM is facing large-scale bot attacks, something not previously seen at this magnitude. This surge in activity is explained by the fact that speculators traditionally target markets with high demand and limited supply, as was the case with graphics cards and gaming consoles in the past. Now, DDR5 RAM has joined that list due to the ongoing DRAM shortage.

The price of DDR5 RAM kits has risen sharply over the past year. For example, a 32GB DDR5-6400 kit from Crucial cost around $88 in September last year, increased to $270 by December, and reached $400 in June of this year. Currently, the same kit is listed on Amazon for about $480, though the price occasionally drops slightly.

Price Increases and Market Impact

DDR5 RAM kits have become nearly five times more expensive in less than a year. In recent weeks and months, several manufacturers have raised prices to cope with the DDR5 shortage. Even industries that do not use large amounts of DRAM are feeling the impact of rising component costs. For instance, major mini-LED manufacturer KTC recently announced plans to increase prices due to higher expenses for components.

Sony has also been forced to delay the release of new gaming consoles for the same reason. Forecasts suggest that the DDR5 shortage will persist at least until 2028, creating challenging prospects for gamers and technology enthusiasts.