AI datacenter demand revives DDR4 and old PC platforms as memory prices climb
Ifanr reports that as AI datacenters absorb memory capacity, consumer PCs are moving backwards: Gigabyte announced on October 9 that existing B760 and H610 motherboards can support Intel's upcoming LGA1700 processors, expected in early 2027, via BIOS updates, with DDR4 still on the compatibility list, while Intel has repeatedly said DDR4-supporting Raptor Lake remains a core strategy with stable supply for years. AMD launched a 10th-anniversary Ryzen 7 5800X3D at Computex 2026 at a $349 suggested price (2,599 yuan in China), with board makers adding new B550X series boards, and the 2021-era RTX 3060 12GB returned to retail this summer at about $339.99, rising to $460–500 at most retailers by late August. IDC data cited by the outlet put Q3 2026 global PC shipments below 63 million units, down 20.1% year over year and 9.1% quarter over quarter; Omdia says DRAM and SSDs now approach 40% of mainstream PC bill-of-materials costs, and TrendForce expects Q4 conventional DRAM contract prices up another 10%–15% and NAND Flash up 15%–20%.
AI compute expansion is squeezing consumer memory and SSD supply, raising upgrade costs for ordinary users and reshaping how hardware generations are bought.