DDR5 Pricing Remains Stable, But SSDs Continue to Soar, Notes Framework

Framework, the maker of various modular laptops, has updated its blog post regarding the pricing and availability of consumer memory and storage configurations for its products. As the company collaborates with its supply chain to equip its laptops and mini-PCs with necessary components, it possesses inside knowledge of pricing trends that ultimately affect consumer purchases. According to the update, Framework notes that the price of DRAM has stabilized for now, and the latest DDR5 memory has remained relatively unchanged in recent weeks. This is noteworthy as memory is one of the most expensive PC components these days. This means that suppliers are offering stable prices without requiring long-term contracts, although high demand is keeping prices elevated compared to the same period last year.

However, the situation is different for NAND Flash, as Framework notes that SSD prices are facing significant challenges. The company mentions that its inventory of SSDs purchased in 2025 still exists, and they have been selling these SSDs at prices well below the current market value. Essentially, Framework honored the pricing it set when acquiring these SSDs, providing customers with some relief when purchasing storage expansion. However, this will not remain the case for much longer, as Framework expects the old inventory to be depleted as soon as next month. The company will then have to sell SSDs at current acquisition prices, which are several times more expensive than those acquired last year. Framework previously sourced SSDs from Western Digital but is now introducing new modules from Sandisk, which now owns Western Digital SSDs, as well as from ADATA, Phison, and possibly other suppliers.

Introducing a new supplier into a supply chain is not a simple task, as Framework must conduct extensive validation testing for its products, which come with their own guarantees and warranties. Therefore, every change must go through the lab first for validation. Finally, it is important to note that SSD makers are experiencing such high demand that customers are signing long-term supply agreements lasting up to five years.