Buy now or forever be stuck with the same PC? Syntech leadership weighs in on memory mayhem
Nique Christie2026-02-20T16:55:33+02:00
Over the past year, the headlines coming out of the global semiconductor industry have felt almost surreal. The bedrock of modern computing – memory – has shifted from a background component into one of the most expensive and strategically contested parts of any new device.
What initially looked like a pricing spike has now evolved into something far more structural.
In late November, journalists around the world compared the price of DDR5 memory kits to the cost of an entire PlayStation 5 console. The conclusion was shocking: in some cases, they were nearly the same price. This wasn’t a South African anomaly driven by exchange rates or import costs – it was a global phenomenon.
While consumers weren’t watching closely, RAM pricing had been climbing steadily for months.
Days later, the situation escalated further. Micron announced that its Crucial consumer brand would pull back from direct retail sales in certain regions, prioritising enterprise and data centre customers instead.
At the time, the obvious answer to “why?” was AI.
But as Syntech CEO Craig Nowitz and Sales & Marketing Director and co-founder Ryan Martyn explained in a recent interview with MyBroadband, the full picture is far more complex – and more long-term – than many consumers realise.
AI isn’t just “a trend” – it’s absorbing global supply
“Over the past year, demand for server-grade DRAM and high-bandwidth memory has skyrocketed,” Nowitz explains. “Global hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are building out AI data centres at breakneck speed, and manufacturers are prioritising these high-margin enterprise clients.”
According to Nowitz and Martyn, this isn’t simply supply and demand playing out in a predictable way. The scale of AI infrastructure investment is unprecedented. Hyperscalers are placing massive forward orders, locking in supply months – sometimes years – in advance.
That has a direct knock-on effect:
-
Consumer-grade DDR4 and DDR5 modules are harder to source
-
NAND flash supply is tightening
-
Allocation is increasingly skewed toward enterprise
-
Pricing volatility is happening weekly, not quarterly
In the interview, Syntech’s leadership made it clear that this isn’t a short-term imbalance. Memory manufacturers are actively reallocating production capacity toward AI-optimised products like HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), which command significantly higher margins than consumer RAM.
This means fewer wafers are being dedicated to everyday consumer modules.
Is this temporary?
The uncomfortable answer: not in the way people hope.
While pricing cycles have always existed in memory markets, the AI-driven shift represents a structural change in demand composition. Manufacturers are investing heavily in AI-grade memory production, and that investment doesn’t automatically increase consumer supply.
Add to this:
-
South Africa’s exchange rate volatility
-
Logistics pressures
-
Strategic allocation models favouring enterprise contracts
And you have a pricing environment that is unlikely to normalise in the short term.
So… should you buy now?
Online forums are full of panic. “Buy now or regret it later” has become a common refrain.
Nowitz offers a more measured view.
“If you’re a reseller, system builder, or enterprise IT manager, my advice is clear: plan ahead. Secure stock early, communicate with your suppliers, and be prepared for continued volatility,” he says.
“At Syntech, we’re committed to navigating this landscape with transparency and resilience. We’re working closely with our vendors to optimise allocations and ensure our partners have the support they need.”
The message isn’t panic. It’s preparedness.
Memory is no longer the cheapest afterthought in a build. It’s a strategic component in a globally contested supply chain.
Whether you’re upgrading a gaming PC, provisioning enterprise infrastructure, or managing retail stock – the era of predictable RAM and SSD pricing may be behind us.
Watch the full interview below:
