DDR4 Soars 14% in a Month on AI Demand..Memory Chip Prices Hit All-Time Highs Simultaneously

Driven by artificial intelligence (AI) demand, the average monthly prices of DRAM and NAND flash have reached all-time highs.

The average fixed transaction price in July for general-purpose NAND products for memory cards and USBs (128Gb 16Gx8 MLC) rose 4.3% from the previous month to $30.1, marking the 19th consecutive month of increases for this product.

As memory suppliers focus production capacity on high-stack 3D NAND and advanced processes, a shortage of legacy Single-Level Cell (SLC) technology has intensified. Consequently, SLC average selling prices surged 35–51% from the previous month, while Multi-Level Cell (MLC) price increases ranged between 4–8%.