This goes to show you how the memory makers / PC parts manufacturing industry colludes on high price floors. They've been gouging us hard since the pandemic. Now today, when you walk into Microcenter its wall-to-wall motherboards again, NO ONE is buying, and prices are back down to < $299 on a lot of models.
Um, this is just as simply ascribed to good ol' supply and demand. Things are a LOT different right now from two years ago.