The electronics industry has most certainly taken a heavy hit as greedy corporate overlords and scalpers scramble to snatch up computing parts used to expand the ever-growing AI data centers. Gamers are definitely among the crowd who are unfairly suffering, as RAM stick prices skyrocket due to how severely the market is being abused. Desiring to show just how wild the costs have become, one man from Michigan posted to Reddit, showing screenshots that prove “It’s cheaper to buy an AR-15 rifle than 64GB of DDR5 RAM.”
Namely, Palmetto State Armory’s M4 classic assault rifle, even at its ‘non-sale’ price, is still cheaper than two DDR5 RAM sticks of 32GB from Corsair. Of course, these are two very specific examples, but the fact of the matter is that high-end weaponry is more expensive than basic parts required for a gaming PC or workstation. Granted, most casual gamers have no issue playing with just 32GB or even less, but specs for everything are becoming ever more demanding, not to mention gaming is far from a niche hobby; it’s mainstream. These outrageous RAM stick prices affect the entire digital and electronic industry and its many branching fields, not just gaming.
With the need to keep upgrading one’s setup, even if you’re not into gaming, many people don’t even see that the almost $1K cost of 64GB of RAM is worthwhile. “One lasts forever with proper care. The other is obsolete in a couple years,” points out a Redditor. One commenter remarked in response mischievously yet jokingly, “You can also use one to obtain the other.” Some people laughed it off, saying how you can’t “download” a gun, but with today’s tech and 3D printing, it might as well be easier and cheaper than getting one’s hands on affordable RAM.
Another Reddit user compares the price they paid for the same RAM sticks just last year to the “insane” prices of today: “My $249 ram in April ’25 is now $1129, same as the shown but 6400mt CL32.” The price hike is unbelievable, with no small thanks to the crazed development of AI, which is one of the most controversial topics of the decade regarding technology. And when compared to assault rifles, as one person puts it, “The AR-15 market is probably at the most saturated point ever, with budget friendly players like PSA stirring up the competition. Meanwhile we have the worst RAM shortage yet.”
