The race to build AI has created an unexpected shortage of everyday computer memory. Chipmakers are prioritizing production of high-performance memory for AI servers, leaving traditional DDR4 and DDR5 modules scarce and expensive. According to market research firm TrendForce, hardware manufacturers are now redesigning products with older memory types — some PCs are switching from DDR4 to DDR3, and even DDR2 is making a comeback. The catch: those legacy chips are getting expensive too. TrendForce estimates DDR2 prices will jump fifty-five to sixty percent in the second quarter of twenty twenty-six, followed by another thirty-five to forty percent increase in the third quarter. It's a ripple effect: when supply is tight, even decades-old components become hot commodities.

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