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If you've checked component prices recently to build or upgrade a PC, you were probably shocked by how absurdly expensive RAM has become. You might have found yourself double-checking your screen, wondering, "Is this price for real?"

Just six months ago, you could grab a 16GB stick of the latest DDR5 RAM for around 70,000 won. Today, that price has skyrocketed by 3 to 4 times, easily blowing past 200,000 won. To make matters worse, as the newest RAM became unaffordable, budget-conscious buyers flocked to the older DDR4, triggering a bizarre ripple effect that caused even older RAM prices to surge by more than 250%.

So, what on earth is going on in the global PC component market?

It’s not like the demand for everyday PCs and laptops suddenly exploded. The main reason RAM prices are quite literally worth their weight in gold right now is the massive AI (Artificial Intelligence) boom sweeping the globe.