If you’ve walked into a computer shop in Dhaka recently looking to speed up your PC, you might have walked out in shock.
Just a year ago, in mid-2025, a standard 16GB stick of high-speed DDR5 memory (RAM) would have cost you between Tk7,000 and Tk10,000. Today, in mid-2026, those same sticks are selling for Tk20,000 to Tk25,000—if you can even find them in stock.
To the average user, this looks like simple price gouging. But the reality is a "perfect storm" in the global tech industry caused by the sudden, massive explosion of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
To understand what is happening, think of RAM as your computer’s "short-term memory." It’s where your PC stores information it needs right now. For years, factories in South Korea and the US produced enough of this memory to keep PCs and laptops affordable.
However, the world changed with the rise of AI. Services like ChatGPT and AI image generators require massive "data centers"—essentially giant warehouses full of super-powered computers.
These AI computers don't use standard RAM; they use a specialized, ultra-powerful version called HBM (High Bandwidth Memory).
Here is the catch: the giant companies that make RAM, such as Samsung and SK Hynix, use the same raw materials and the same machines to make both regular PC RAM and the fancy AI memory.
Since AI companies are willing to pay a fortune for HBM, manufacturers have shifted their production lines away from regular computer parts.
Experts estimate that making just one AI memory chip takes up the same factory space and time as making three standard RAM sticks for a home laptop.
By choosing to feed the "AI monster," manufacturers have effectively starved the consumer market. There simply aren't enough "regular" chips being made to meet the needs of students, gamers, and office workers.
Why is Bangladesh hit so hard?
While this is a global crisis, the impact is felt more severely in Bangladesh. Because we rely entirely on imports, our local market is at the mercy of "spot prices"—the daily fluctuating cost of tech in the international market.
When global supply drops by 10%, prices often jump by 50% or more due to panicked buying by major brands like HP, Dell, and Apple, who buy up all the stock before it can even reach smaller markets like ours.
For the average person, the advice from tech analysts is simple: Wait.
Unless your computer is broken or your livelihood depends on a new build, 2026 is the worst time to buy RAM.
Prices are expected to remain "on fire" until at least late 2027, when new factories are scheduled to open.
For now, the best way to save money is to take care of the hardware you already have—because that small stick of silicon is currently worth its weight in gold.
Price comparison
Brand/Model | Type | 2025 Price (Est.) | Current May 2026 Price | Status |
Team T-CREATE Classic (16GB 5600MHz) | Desktop | ~Tk 8,500 | Tk 30,800 | High Stock Cost |
TEAM ELITE (16GB 5600MHz) | Desktop | ~Tk 7,500 | Tk 29,800 | In Stock |
Samsung / PNY (16GB 5600MHz) | Laptop | ~Tk 9,000 | Tk 25,000 | Available |
Crucial (16GB 5600MHz) | Laptop | ~Tk 8,500 | Tk 22,392 | Limited Stock |
Source: StarTechBD
