In brief: Throughout the second half of 2018, we saw numerous reports claiming that PC components are slowly becoming less expensive. Now, we're finally experiencing a noticeable drop in memory prices, with consumers paying the same for DDR4 as they did during mid-2017.

Back in November, a report from DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, revealed that the average contract price of 4GB DRAM modules had dropped 10.14 percent compared to the previous quarter. 8GB DRAM modules, meanwhile, had fallen by 10.29 percent.

While the report focused on bulk DDR4 shipments to PC-OEMs, we're now seeing the trickledown effect reaching consumers. According to PCPartPicker, which gathers data from dozens of the most popular online retailers and shows historical price charts, 4x4GB DDR4-3000 kits are reaching levels not seen since the middle of 2017. And virtually all the other memory kits are experiencing the same downward trend.

It's not just DDR4 that is falling. NAND flash prices keep decreasing, which analysts earlier this year put down to oversupply. PCPricePicker's charts show the cost of 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB SSDs have all fallen since July 2017---a 2TB SSD has dropped in price by more than half.

Thanks to the end of the cryptomining craze, video cards are also falling back to regular price levels. With crypto such as Bitcoin no longer profitable to mine, miners are have stopped bulk buying cards and pushing up their prices.

All of this means that now is a great time to build a PC, or grab that new component you've been craving for ages.

All images courtesy of PCPartPicker