DDR4 and LPDDR4 supply tightens sharply in 2H25 as structural shortage drives strong price surge

TrendForce’s latest findings reveal the DDR4 market is set to remain in a persistent state of undersupply and strong price growth through 2H25. Rigid server orders are crowding out supply for the PC and consumer markets, forcing PC OEMs to accelerate DDR5 adoption. 

Manufacturers of consumer electronics, meanwhile, are struggling with high prices and material shortages. The tight DRAM supply-demand balance has also pushed up mobile DRAM contract prices, with 3Q25 LPPR4X posting the largest single-quarter increase in nearly a decade.

PC DDR4 contract prices surpass DDR5; CSP orders push up server DDR4 prices
TrendForce reports that DRAM suppliers and PC OEMs are finalizing 3Q25 contract prices. With limited production capacity and resources tilted toward the server segment, most PC-side demand cannot be met. In July, prices for 8GB PC DDR4 modules surpassed those of DDR5 modules of the same capacity in a rare “price inversion.” 

Many PC OEMs, unable to secure sufficient supply, have been forced to scale back production plans for DDR4 models and increase the share of DDR5-based systems. Overall, DDR4 in the PC DRAM market has entered a phase of high prices coupled with low volume, and the gradual phase-out of DDR4 in new models has become an inevitable trend.

DDR4 has become standard in next-generation data centers for AI computing and high-efficiency data processing, prompting CSPs to place intensive follow-up orders with the top three major DRAM suppliers. Manufacturers are prioritizing server orders over other applications. TrendForce expects DDR4 demand in the server market to ease gradually as DDR5 penetration increases further in 2026.

3Q25 contract price hikes for consumer DDR4 and LPDDR4X
Compared with PC and server segments, supply in the consumer DRAM market is even more constrained. This segment—covering applications such as industrial control, networking, TVs, consumer electronics, and controllers—mainly uses DDR4, which ranks behind PC and server applications in suppliers’ allocation priorities.

As a result, supply-demand imbalance is particularly severe. TrendForce data shows July consumer DDR4 contract prices have already risen by more than 60-85%, leading to a sharp upward revision for 3Q25 contract prices to a quarterly increase of 85-90%. 

For LPDDR4X, widely used in mainstream and entry-level smartphones, the market is facing intensified supply concerns as U.S. and Korean suppliers plan to reduce or halt LPDDR4X output between 2025 and 2026. Heightened panic buying, coupled with competitive bidding among suppliers, has further fueled price hikes. TrendForce has therefore revised up its 3Q25 LPDDR4X contract price forecast to a quarterly increase of 38-43%.

As for LPPDR5X, overall bit supply is expanding thanks to continued process migration by the U.S. and Korean suppliers. With healthier supply-demand conditions, LPDDR5X is now used not only in mid- to high-end smartphones but also in notebooks and AI servers.

Given that LPDDR5X contract prices are lower on average than other DRAM products, suppliers aiming to balance profitability across product lines are expected to continue raising prices, with 3Q25 contract prices estimated to rise 10–15% QoQ.

-- Source: TrendForce, Taiwan.