DDR4 RAM is disappearing — and getting more expensive than DDR5

Having plenty of memory in your PC is more important than ever, now that practically everything runs on the web. But if you’re using a dated laptop or desktop that relies on DDR4 RAM , you might find it hard to upgrade. Manufacturers are winding down production, which is making prices rise… even above the price of newer DDR5 memory.

DDR4 has been a bargain for system builders for years. Heck, that’s why AMD keeps making new AM4 chips even as the world falls in love with the AM5 platform. But the biggest memory producers on the planet—Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron—are all setting an end-of-life date for DDR4 production. That’s partly because of the sheer progress of technology (you can’t stick to a format forever) and partly because there’s a huge demand for newer memory with the expan