PriceRookShould I wait for Black Friday to buy RAM? (2026)
Short answer: If you need RAM in the next few months, buy at a verified good price now. Black Friday (Nov 27) and Cyber Monday (Nov 30) may still have retailer discounts, but forecasts point to a higher baseline, not a return to last year’s prices. Track exact kits so you can spot a fake “was” price.
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Short answer
Waiting for Black Friday is usually fine. In 2026 the catch is that any November discount may sit on a baseline that has already risen. Contract-price forecasts and maker guidance both point to tight supply into 2027–2028, so do not plan on a big drop that resets DDR5 to “normal.”
What the numbers say (as of mid-October 2026)
- Cheapest 32GB DDR5-6000 kit: about $449.97 on Oct 14, up from about $400 in August, and more than 500% above last year per Tom’s Hardware’s daily tracker [1].
- Q4 contract prices: TrendForce projects conventional DRAM up 10–15% quarter over quarter in Q4 2026, with the pace of increases moderating but the market still undersupplied [2].
- Maker outlook: Micron’s CEO said demand exceeds supply in 2027 and 2028 and that the company does not have “line of sight” to balance [3].
When waiting still makes sense
- The upgrade is optional and today’s price is above your budget.
- You are still choosing a platform (AM5 vs an older board) and might not need the kit yet.
- You already picked exact model numbers and will check them weekly into late November so a real discount is obvious.
When to buy now
- You need the RAM within about three months (upgrade, new build, or a kit that keeps selling out).
- You found a store price you can verify against the same SKU’s recent listing (not an inflated “was” tag).
- A CPU + motherboard + RAM combo cuts the effective RAM cost below standalone kits — those have been the bright spot this fall [1].
Hand-checked examples and our October outlook: Will RAM prices keep rising? and verified RAM deals (Oct 15). We also baseline 14 kits for Black Friday on our internal watchlist.
How to avoid fake Black Friday RAM deals
- Compare the same model number (SKU / MPN), capacity, speed, and timings — not a cheaper slower kit with a similar name.
- Ignore a “was” price you never saw in mid-October. Record today’s delivered price for the kits you want, then judge November against that baseline.
- Watch stock and limits. Doorbuster RAM often sells out fast; a good non-doorbuster price you can actually buy beats a sold-out headline.
- Prefer official retailers and known bundles over grey-market key or memory sellers.
Background on the shortage: Is RAM going to get cheaper? Capacity question first? How much RAM for PC gaming in 2026.