I built my PC in March 2024, so roughly two years ago.

Over the last 6 months, I have been following the RAM and storage price situation. With that in mind, I went back to my Amazon and eBay orders and compared what my build cost back then with what the same parts would cost today. The result is quite uneven.

RAM: this is the biggest jump

I bought a 64GB DDR5 kit (2x32GB) for €245.99. Now the same kit is around €885. That is an increase of roughly +260%.

This single component changes the total cost of a build in a big way.

SSD: not as extreme, but still high

2TB SSD

My Samsung 990 Pro 2TB cost €169. Now it is around €290. That is about +70% increase.

1TB SSD (estimated)

I also bought a Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB, but I don’t have the exact order.

Based on the 2TB price change (~+70%), I estimate it was around €110–€120 at that time.

Now it is around €189.

That puts it again in the range of roughly +60–70% increase.

So the pattern is consistent across storage.

Cooling: also noticeable increase

My Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 was €98.55. Now it is around €127. That is roughly +30% increase, which isn’t feeling normal to me.

Case and PSU: actually went down

Some parts went the opposite way.

• Case: €169 → ~€159 (~ -6%)
• PSU: €156 → ~€119 (~ -23%) So clearly not everything is getting expensive.

CPU and motherboard: mostly stable

My Ryzen 9 7950X3D was around €699 when I bought it from eBay.

Now I see it around €549, so roughly -20%.

My X670E motherboard was about €318. That exact model is not available now, but newer versions are slightly cheaper.

So CPU and motherboard are not the problem here.

Me placing the CPU into the motherboard socket. No gloves, no wrist strap, just flip flops. Not sure if that counts as ESD protection, but the PC is still alive 😅

Then vs Now

If I take the main components (excluding GPU):

Then (March 2024)

• RAM: €245
• SSD (2TB): €169
• SSD (1TB, estimated): ~€115
• Cooling: €98
• Case: €169
• PSU: €156
• CPU: €699
• Motherboard: €318

Total: ~€1,969

Now (2026)

• RAM: €885
• SSD (2TB): €290
• SSD (1TB): €189
• Cooling: €127
• Case: €159
• PSU: €119
• CPU: €549
• Motherboard: ~€300

Total: ~€2,618

That is an increase of roughly €650, which is about +33% overall.

And most of that increase comes from just RAM and SSD.

About GPU

I did not include GPU in this comparison for a different reason.

The GPU I used was a gift, so I didn’t pay for it. I also resold it later, so I don’t have a clean “then vs now” number.

But even without exact numbers, one thing is clear.

Since around December 2024, I haven’t seen any mid-level to high-end level AMD or Nvidia GPU at a reasonable price around its MSRP. Everything feels inflated, frequently out of stock and getting one without overpaying feels almost impossible right now.

Final thought

I have seen something similar before.

During the 2018 crypto bull run, GPU prices went crazy because of miners. For some time it was almost impossible to buy a GPU at a normal price, but things eventually settled down once that phase ended.

This time it feels different.

Now the demand is coming from AI and data centers, and memory seems to be one of the main pressure points. It looks like RAM manufacturers are focusing more on large-scale AI demand rather than the consumer retail market.

Maybe this will normalize again like before. Or maybe this is the new baseline 🤷

Right now, if someone wants to build a PC from scratch, the entry cost is clearly higher than what it was just two years ago. For people already in the hobby it is annoying, but for someone starting out it can easily become a real barrier.

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