The most attentive readers among you might remember that a few months ago, I was on a heroic mission: turning my old computer into an AI server. Yes, the kind of server that sounds impressive if you say it out loud, but in reality, it mostly hums quietly in the corner while you pray it doesn’t burst into flames. That project is still very much ongoing. I am still swapping out components that mysteriously self-destruct, hunting for the elusive NVLink to link my GPUs together, and occasionally whispering sweet nothings to my motherboard, hoping it will cooperate this time.
Back in August 2026, while sipping my coffee and staring at a stack of outdated hardware, I had a wild idea: why not build a new and modern AI server? This one would be sleek, modern, and dare I say, slightly less cranky. The plan involved fewer processors (because apparently, more is not always merrier), a shinier graphics card, and memory that wouldn’t make me cry. DDR5 - the memory that makes your system fast enough to handle AI models without screaming at you in hexadecimal. Oh, and a bunch of other “newfangled” gadgets that sounded cool on paper but would likely induce mild panic when installed.
By early September, I started the careful, measured process of choosing and ordering the components I needed. And then came the turning point: when I reached the section labeled “Memory and Graphics Cards,” I had an epiphany. “Why not wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday?” I thought. After all, it was only about a month and a half away. A perfectly reasonable plan, considering I was also juggling full-time work, the endless taxi service for my kids’ extracurricular activities, and my own side projects that constantly scream for attention. Waiting? Totally doable.
But of course, I am not the only person who ever thought, “Hey, I’ll build a home AI server!” No, that thought had spread to roughly a million other people on this planet in some way. And as the days passed, something strange happened: memory prices started creeping up like they were auditioning for a horror movie villain role.
Back in early September, my fantasy build looked so simple. I would have two kinds of RAM:
- The fast, elite, blindingly expensive kit, for running performance tests and the occasional game that reminded me why I love computers.
- The large, standard-speed kit, perfect for big AI models and heavy workloads.
The first kit was supposed to cost me about 1,000 shekels. The second kit, around 1,500 shekels. Totally reasonable, right? Wrong. By late November and early December, reality hit me like a rogue GPU fan spinning out of control. The first kit had ballooned to roughly 1,600 shekels, taxes included. And the second kit? Let’s just say it’s now flirting with a price tag of 2,500 shekels. My poor brain can’t even convert that into USD without crying softly in a corner.
So here I am, holding my one small kit of fast memory, dreaming of the day when I can finally add another matching kit. I hope they get along like old friends. Maybe one day I’ll have 128GB of total memory as originally planned. But for now? I am stuck with 48GB, hoping some day it will be 96GB, and my total spending is approaching a terrifying 3,000 shekels. Someone send help. Or at least a meme about DDR5 memory prices.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Why not just buy it now?” Well, my friends, the universe had another lesson for me. There were still a few days left before Black Friday, and then, drumroll, Cyber Monday was looming. A final chance to snag something remotely reasonable before my budget waved the white flag. And let’s not forget, I also need a graphics card, which is basically a mythical creature at this point — somewhere between a unicorn and a dragon, both elusive and terrifyingly expensive.
I can already hear the whispers: “Just buy used!” or “Wait until prices normalize!” Oh, sweet summer child. The used market is a treacherous swamp of misleading benchmarks and “like new” parts that were obviously fried in a previous owner’s coffee spill. And as for prices normalizing? Sure, right after pigs fly on DDR5 wings while holding tiny GPUs in their hooves.
So what’s the solution, you ask? Patience, my dear reader. Patience, a lot of caffeine, and a willingness to check memory prices at least fifty times a day, hoping they miraculously drop. I’ve started creating spreadsheets that track memory cost per shekel per gigabyte, and I name each row after a fictional character. Yesterday, my spreadsheet cried silently as “Gandalf DDR5” jumped 600 shekels overnight.
Meanwhile, I’ve discovered a new hobby: imagining what I could do with 2,500 shekels if I didn’t have to buy memory. For example:
- A small vacation to a country that doesn’t judge me for obsessing over RAM.
- A lifetime supply of coffee to fuel my server-building addiction.
- An actual NVLink Bridge for my GPUs — if they ever exist outside my dreams.
Alas, my server dreams are temporarily held hostage by capitalism and scarcity. The saga continues, though. Maybe tomorrow, Cyber Monday will bring salvation. Maybe my bank account will finally forgive me. Maybe the memory gods will smile upon my humble build. Or maybe, just maybe, I will sit in a corner and weep softly while my kids ask why their dad is muttering “DDR5, DDR5, why do you cost so much?” over and over.
And here’s the kicker: even after I secure my fast memory kit, I’ll still need the large RAM kit to run those massive AI models. And I know, deep in my soul, that it will cost more than my first car. But the dream persists, fueled by stubbornness, caffeine, and the occasional meme about GPU miners hoarding all the good RAM.
So, dear readers, the moral of this story is: if you ever feel like your life is complicated, just remember my little journey into the absurdity of memory prices in 2026. It’s a rollercoaster of hope, despair, spreadsheets, and a lot of colorful language that I really shouldn’t repeat in polite company. But at the end of the day, whether my wallet survives or not, I will have an AI server that’s slightly faster, slightly shinier, and filled with a story of human perseverance against the cruel and hilarious market forces of computer memory.
In the meantime, I’ll be here, staring at memory prices, sipping coffee, and plotting my next move. Maybe I’ll invest in DDR6 futures. Maybe I’ll start a side hustle selling motivational posters for server builders. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll embrace the chaos, laugh at the numbers, and remind myself that even if my memory dreams are expensive, the journey is priceless.
So, here’s to you, dear readers — enjoy, don’t panic, and remember: if you ever think memory is cheap, think of me, my spreadsheets, and my slowly emptying wallet.