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| Asgard has two new offerings in China: 192 GB and 256 GB DDR5-6000 RAM kits. |
If you've been planning a new gaming PC build recently, you've likely experienced a serious case of sticker shock. It's not the GPU or CPU causing budgetary panic this time—it's the humble RAM stick. Prices for DDR5 memory are exploding, creating a hurdle for builders that hasn't been seen in years. Analysts point a finger at the insatiable demand from AI companies, which have consumed vast portions of the global DRAM supply. The outlook is grim, with some industry forecasts suggesting we may not see reasonable RAM prices again until 2028 or later.
In this bleak landscape, a new product announcement feels almost paradoxical: a RAM kit that is both astronomically expensive and, in context, weirdly affordable.
The $2,400 Memory Kit That Costs More Than an RTX 5090
Chinese memory manufacturer Asgard recently took to social media to unveil two extreme-capacity DDR5 kits. The headline-grabber is the Valkyrie II Racing Car Limited Edition 256 GB DDR5-6000 kit.
Let that sink in: 256 gigabytes of RAM.
The kit, which consists of four 64GB modules, uses high-quality SK Hynix 4GB M-die memory chips on a 10-layer PCB for stability. Its performance specs are impressive, but its price is the real story: a staggering 17,000 Yuan, or approximately $2,400 USD.
For perspective, that's a higher official price than the anticipated MSRP of NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 5090. You read that correctly. This set of memory sticks is priced higher than the most powerful consumer gaming GPU expected to hit the market.
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| The 256 GB DDR5-6000 kit, on the other hand, costs a whopping $2,400. |
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| The 192 GB DDR5-6000 kit costs around $1,215, which is actually quite compelling. |
A "Budget" Alternative? The 192GB Kit
For those whose needs (or wallets) are slightly more modest, Asgard also revealed the Thor Black Gold Limited Edition. This kit bundles four 48GB DDR5-6000 modules for a total of 192GB, using SK Hynix's 3GB M-die chips. At roughly $1,125, it represents a "value" proposition in the realm of ultra-high-capacity memory.
A detailed breakdown of the specs and announcement can be found in this report from Tom's Hardware, which highlights the stunning cost comparison to next-gen graphics cards.
The Catch: Availability Is (Almost) Exclusively Chinese
Before international PC enthusiasts get too excited, there's a major caveat. Asgard does not officially launch or sell its products outside of China. These kits are targeted at the domestic market, leaving buyers in North America and Europe out of luck. This regional limitation is a significant disappointment for builders worldwide seeking alternative options in a tight market.
What Are the Options for International Buyers?
For gamers and builders in the US looking for reliable, high-performance RAM without importing from unofficial channels, mainstream brands remain the go-to. A kit like the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 offers solid performance for most high-end gaming rigs.
You can find the G.Skill Trident Z5 kit on Amazon, where it's currently priced around $360.
The Bottom Line: A Symbol of a Distorted Market
The Asgard 256GB kit is less a practical product for most and more a symbol of today's volatile PC component market. It demonstrates that while capacity continues to push forward, pricing is being dictated by forces far beyond the gaming community—primarily the AI industry's monumental demand.
For now, most builders will need to carefully balance their memory needs with their overall budget, perhaps settling for 32GB or 64GB kits while hoping the long-term forecast for RAM prices proves too pessimistic. The era of cheap, abundant memory appears to be, at least temporarily, on hold.
This article is for informational purposes only. Pricing and availability are subject to change.