A Seller’s Typo on Facebook Marketplace Leads to a $120 Deal on $500 DDR5 RAM

A Reddit user, HappifyChris, has shared the story of what might be the deal of the year, acquiring a 32GB Corsair Dominator DDR5 RAM kit for a mere $120. This exceptionally low price was the result of a critical error by a seller on Facebook Marketplace who mistook the memory generation and listed the high-end DDR5 kit as older DDR4.

The State of a Volatile Market

In the tech landscape of early 2026, this deal is particularly remarkable. The memory market is currently experiencing a severe structural crisis, with manufacturers shifting production capacity toward high-margin High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) to meet the explosive demand from the AI industry. This strategic shift has created a significant shortage of consumer-grade DRAM, causing prices for DDR5 to skyrocket. A standard 32GB DDR5 kit, which might have cost around $100 in mid-2025, now typically sells for $350 to $400. Premium models like the Corsair Dominator can easily command prices up to $500 or more. The surge has been so dramatic that some analysts report DDR5 spot prices have quadrupled since September 2025.

An Upgrade Forged by Opportunity

The sharp-eyed Reddit user immediately identified the memory as DDR5 in the listing and seized the opportunity. To utilize his new purchase, HappifyChris had to upgrade his motherboard to an MSI PRO Z790-A, as his previous board only supported DDR4. The new system successfully booted up and is now running at a frequency of 6000 MHz. A key technical detail made this upgrade path relatively seamless: both his old and new motherboards use the same LGA 1700 socket. This allowed him to transition to the new memory standard without needing to replace his processor, a common hurdle during the DDR4-to-DDR5 transition period.

A Look Ahead: The Future of the Memory Market

The user’s story highlights a turbulent period for PC builders. The AI-driven demand for memory is not expected to slow down, with forecasts suggesting the shortage and elevated prices will persist through 2027-2028. This has led to a counterintuitive trend where even older DDR4 memory prices are rising as consumers seek more affordable alternatives. While DDR5 offers higher bandwidth, the real-world performance gains in applications like gaming can be minimal compared to high-quality DDR4, making the current price premium a tough pill to swallow for many. For now, lucky finds like this one remain an exception in a market where high costs are becoming the new normal.