You think GPU prices were bad? Wait till you see your RAM bill...
Crucial is dead, Asus is ghosting, and your 32GB RAM kit now costs more than a flight to Tokyo.
Memory Winter: Why Big Tech Just Left Us Face-Down in the Street
This is a continuation into the topic, as I saw some social media talking about how ASUS will save us. But alas NO lah!
Aiya, what did I tell you? Being a PC gamer in 2026 is like being the youngest son in a traditional family—nobody cares about your feelings, they only care about the “Golden Boy.” And right now, that Golden Boy is AI.
If you haven’t checked the price of a DDR5 kit lately, don’t. You will want to pok gai immediately. We are officially in the Memory Winter, a corporate-sponsored nightmare where the RAM we need for gaming is being stolen to feed some chatbot’s hunger for data.
The Murder of a Legend: RIP Crucial
For 29 years, Crucial was the real one. No stupid dragons, no blinding RGB—just solid RAM that didn’t cost a kidney. Well, Micron officially decided our money isn’t “high-class” enough.
On December 3, 2025, Micron announced they are murdering the Crucial brand. By February 2026, it’s gone. Finished. They are shifting every single chip they make into High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI data centers. They’d rather sell a stack of chips to Nvidia for the price of a Tesla than sell you a 32GB kit for a hundred bucks. We’ve been dumped for a richer, more robotic girlfriend. Sien dai lo!
The Asus “Fairy Tale” is Fake News
Last week, some “insider” rumor started spreading that Asus was going to build their own memory factories to save us. We wanted to believe it. We wanted a hero in an ROG hoodie.
But on December 26, Asus dropped the hammer: “No, we aren’t doing that. Don’t be so naive.” Asus knows that building a chip factory (a “fab”) costs billions and takes years. They’d rather keep “adjusting prices” (read: making us pay more) than actually fix the supply. They aren’t manufacturing the solution; they’re just managing the shortage while charging us a “Shortage Tax” on top of the “ROG Tax.” Double chop!
The Corporate Scavengers: Who is actually left?
With Crucial gone, a few other vultures are circling our empty wallets. Here is the lowdown on the survivors:
Kingston (The “Fear-Monger”): They control 60% of the market now. They’ve already warned that prices have surged 500%. They aren’t “helping” us; they’re just the only ones with enough stock to actually have a box on the shelf. You want a 32GB FURY kit? That’ll be $450, please. Crazy money.
G.Skill (The “Luxury Grifter”): G.Skill has given up on “value.” Their new motto is basically: “If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.” They’re focusing on 9000MT/s kits for the people with more money than sense.
TeamGroup (The “Panic Starter”): These guys were the first to scream “Shortage!” back in October. They’ve been removing price lists from their websites to avoid “panic,” which is like a fire department removing the exit signs to “stay calm.”
Lexar (The “Rebound”): Now that Crucial is dead, Lexar is trying to be your new best friend. They’re hoping you won’t notice they’ve doubled their prices in three months just because they use the “good” SK Hynix chips.
The Pok Gai Survival Guide 2026
Listen to me properly, don’t be a ham sap for new hardware right now:
DDR4 is the Lifeboat: AI data centers don’t want old-school DDR4. If you’re on an AM4 board, stay there! Let the “enthusiasts” spend $600 on RAM while you play the same games for cheap.
Buy Now or Cry Later: If you see a 32GB DDR5 kit for under $250, that is a “steal” in this cursed timeline. By July, experts say it will hit $600+.
Check the QVL: Don’t just buy any random RAM from a stranger. With supply this tight, a lot of “trash tier” chips are being sold as “gaming grade.”
FAQ Section (For Max SEO & Big Brain Points)
Q: Is Asus actually making its own RAM chips now? A: No. Tai lo, please read properly. Asus officially denied this on Dec 26, 2025. They make motherboards and laptops, but they don’t have the billions of dollars to build a chip factory. They are just adjusting their prices to make us pay for the shortage.
Q: Why is Micron shutting down Crucial? A: Because they like money more than they like you. They are closing Crucial by February 2026 to focus on AI data center memory (HBM), which is much more profitable than selling RAM sticks to gamers.
Q: Will RAM prices go down in 2026? A: Don’t dream. Every major maker (Kingston, TeamGroup, Phison) has confirmed 2026 production is already sold out to AI giants. Expect prices to stay high or go even higher until 2027.
Q: What is the best RAM brand to buy in 2026? A: Since Crucial is dead, Kingston is the biggest player left. Lexar and TeamGroup are trying to be the “budget” options, but expect to pay a premium for any brand using high-quality SK Hynix chips.