When RAM Prices Start To Look Ridiculous
If you have been thinking about upgrading your gaming PC with more memory, you might want to hit pause for a moment. High end DDR5 RAM prices have reached a point where the cost of a premium 64 GB kit is sitting in the same price range as a full gaming console.
Yes, you read that right. The amount of money you would drop on just RAM can now buy you an entire console that plays the latest games out of the box. No extra parts, no fiddling with compatibility, just plug it in and start gaming.
Even more worrying, experts expect these inflated RAM prices to climb even higher over the next few months. That means the already painful price tags on high capacity DDR5 kits might only get worse in the short term.
For PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts, this leaves a simple but frustrating question. Is it really worth paying console level money for a single component right now
RAM Versus Console What You Actually Get For Your Money
Let us break down what this comparison really means for your setup.
On one side you have a high end 64 GB DDR5 kit. That kind of memory is usually aimed at people who:
- Run heavy content creation apps like video editing or 3D rendering
- Keep dozens of browser tabs and tools open at the same time
- Play newer games while streaming or recording at high quality
- Want to future proof their PC for several years
DDR5 offers faster speeds and better efficiency compared to older DDR4 memory, but the price jump for big capacities like 64 GB can be brutal. You are paying a premium for both cutting edge tech and the large amount of memory.
On the other side you have a modern gaming console. For roughly the same price as that single RAM kit you get:
- A full gaming system with CPU, GPU and storage already matched and optimized
- Support for current generation games with decent graphical performance
- Access to gaming subscriptions, digital stores and online features
- A plug and play experience you can set up in minutes
The comparison is not perfectly fair in a technical sense. A PC with 64 GB of DDR5 is a completely different kind of machine than a console, especially for productivity work. But from a budget point of view, if you mainly care about playing games, it is hard to ignore that your money buys a lot more ready to use hardware on the console side right now.
So the question becomes less about raw specs and more about what experience you want for the same amount of cash.
Should You Upgrade RAM Or Just Get A Console
If you are trying to decide what to do with your upgrade budget, here are some simple guidelines to make the choice a bit easier.
You might want to hold off on a big DDR5 upgrade if:
- You are mostly gaming and not doing heavy content creation or development work
- Your current PC has 16 GB or 32 GB of RAM and still runs your games reasonably well
- You are already considering buying a console for exclusives or a living room setup
- You are on a tight budget and need the best overall value for pure gaming
In those cases, paying console money for a RAM kit that might only shave a few seconds off load times or slightly smooth out multitasking may not feel worth it. Especially when the same cash could give you an entirely separate gaming machine that is ready to go out of the box.
On the other hand, a 64 GB DDR5 kit can still make sense if:
- You create content such as streaming, editing 4K videos or working with large projects
- You use your PC for professional level workloads where time really is money
- You want a long term performance boost for both work and games
- You are building a high end rig and are okay paying the current premium
In that scenario, the RAM is not just about gaming. It is part of a serious workstation setup, and the extra cost can pay off through productivity gains and long term usefulness.
The big catch is timing. With experts expecting RAM prices to climb even more, the choice becomes whether to buy now before it gets worse or to wait and see if prices eventually cool down. For most casual gamers, waiting is usually the safer move, especially if your current system is still holding up.
If your main goal is simply to play the newest games with as little hassle as possible, then looking at consoles starts to make a lot of sense. You get a reliable target platform for modern titles without chasing every wave of PC hardware price spikes.
At the end of the day, the fact that a single RAM upgrade now rivals the cost of a full console says a lot about how strange the current hardware market has become. For now, keep a close eye on prices, think honestly about what you actually do on your PC, and do not be afraid to consider a console if all you want is to sit back and enjoy the games.
Original article and image: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/64gb-of-ddr5-memory-now-costs-more-than-an-entire-ps5-even-after-a-discount-trident-z5-neo-kit-jumps-to-usd600-due-to-dram-shortage-and-its-expected-to-get-worse-into-2026
