Weekly brief · Week of Sep 14, 2026
DDR5 extends gains while DDR4 spot breaks lower
Updated Sep 21, 2026 00:00 UTC
DDR5 spot pricing continued to climb this week while DDR4 reversed lower, widening the gap between the two markets. DDR5 chip spot averaged $54.88, up 1.0% w/w and now up 17.9% over 12 weeks, with the latest print at $55.81 marking a new high in the 33-week data set. DDR4 chip spot averaged $50.26, down 3.0% w/w after two weeks of declines, although it remains up 21.5% over 12 weeks. The market regime remains Expansion for a sixth straight week with medium confidence: spot gains are still broad enough to pull module pricing higher, but the pace of increases is slowing and no contract reset has appeared in the latest monthly data. Contract indicators remain stale relative to spot, with the latest SO-DIMM prints still dated Aug. 31, 20 days ago.
Key numbers
| Series | Weekly avg | Week | 4 weeks | 12 weeks | vs high | 12-week trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDR5 | $54.88 | +1.0% | +3.0% | +17.9% | 0.0% | |
| DDR4 | $50.26 | -3.0% | -0.7% | +21.5% | -3.6% | |
| GDDR6 | $11.84 | +0.5% | +1.2% | +2.8% | -7.4% | |
| DDR5 Module | $233.73 | +1.6% | +4.0% | +11.8% | -6.5% |
Scorecard
| Regime | Expansion: spot and module prices are rising together |
| Confidence | Medium |
| Spot momentum | Spot gains are slowing |
| Module pass-through | Module prices are following chip spot |
| Contract reset | No contract reset has been seen |
How spot, module and contract compare
DDR5 continues to outperform DDR4 across spot and module markets. DDR5 chips now trade at 1.09x DDR4 pricing versus 1.05x four weeks ago, reflecting continued firming in DDR5 even as DDR4 softened this week. Module pricing is still following chip moves: DDR5 Module spot averaged $233.73, up 1.6% w/w and 4.0% over four weeks, equal to 132% of the DDR5 chip move over the same period. Contract pricing remains directionally positive but slower-moving than spot, with the largest tracked monthly increase at +2.3% for DDR5 8GB SO-DIMM contracts as of Aug. 31.
| Contract item | Price | Change | Print date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDR5 8GB SO-DIMM | $133 | +2.3% | Aug 31 |
| DDR4 16GB SO-DIMM | $270 | +1.9% | Aug 31 |
| DDR4 8GB SO-DIMM | $142 | +2.2% | Aug 31 |
What changed
- DDR5 chip spot averaged $54.88, up 1.0% w/w and 3.0% over four weeks; latest price reached $55.81.
- DDR4 chip spot averaged $50.26, down 3.0% w/w and down 0.7% over four weeks; latest price fell to $49.49.
- GDDR6 spot averaged $11.84, up 0.5% w/w and 1.2% over four weeks.
- DDR5 Module spot averaged $233.73, up 1.6% w/w and 4.0% over four weeks.
- The Expansion regime held for a sixth straight week with confirmed module pass-through and slowing upward momentum.
- Latest contract data remains 20 days old: DDR5 8GB SO-DIMM contracts were $133 with a reported +2.3% change as of 2026-08-31.
Regime call
Expansion (medium confidence), 6th week in this regime
What to watch next
- A contract reset still requires a tracked SO-DIMM contract move of 10.0% or more; the latest reported move was +2.3%.
- Module pass-through remains confirmed while module pricing keeps at least 65% of the pace of chip spot gains.
- DDR5 spot strength is intact while weekly averages hold above the prior week's $54.35 level within the recent $54.05 to $54.88 four-week range.
- Further widening from the current 1.09x DDR5-to-DDR4 pricing ratio would signal continued divergence between the two spot markets.