Memory ('RAM') prices rising
Computer memory prices have surged this year as AI demand grows, creating what some outlets call a 'RAM crunch' that could raise the cost of laptops and other systems. The coverage links rising memory costs to expanded AI workload needs beyond GPUs. ((pcmag.com))
Random access memory, the short-term working memory inside laptops, phones, and servers, is getting more expensive in 2026 as artificial intelligence buyers soak up supply. (trendforce.com) TrendForce said on January 5 that conventional dynamic random access memory contract prices in the first quarter of 2026 were on track to rise 55% to 60% from the prior quarter, while server dynamic random access memory prices were projected to jump by more than 60%. The firm said suppliers were shifting advanced production toward server chips and high-bandwidth memory for artificial intelligence systems. (trendforce.com) High-bandwidth memory is a faster, denser kind of memory stacked close to an artificial intelligence chip, like keeping ingredients beside the stove instead of across the kitchen. Nvidia says its H200 artificial intelligence processor uses 141 gigabytes of high-bandwidth memory and 4.8 terabytes per second of memory bandwidth. (micron.com, nvidia.com) That matters for ordinary computers because the same manufacturers make both high-bandwidth memory and more familiar dynamic random access memory used in personal computers and servers. TrendForce said the supply-demand gap widened as United States cloud companies locked in capacity, leaving other buyers to accept higher prices. (trendforce.com) Micron, one of the three big memory makers, told investors on March 18 that its fiscal second-quarter revenue reached $23.86 billion, up from $8.05 billion a year earlier, and Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Mehrotra said the results reflected “an increase in memory demand driven by AI” and “structural supply constraints.” (cnbc.com, finance.yahoo.com) Samsung signaled the same trend on April 7, when it forecast record first-quarter 2026 operating profit that CNBC said was likely driven by demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in artificial intelligence computing. Samsung’s investor relations site lists the company’s earnings releases, and CNBC reported the stock rose nearly 5% after the guidance. (samsung.com, cnbc.com) SK hynix has also said the boom is stretching well beyond graphics processors. Its investor relations site lists January 29, 2026 earnings materials, and reports on those results said the company had effectively sold out key memory supply for 2026 as artificial intelligence customers booked production early. (skhynix.com, techspot.com) The immediate effect is likely to show up first in business hardware contracts and then in consumer devices as manufacturers refresh price lists. TrendForce said client solid-state drive prices were also forecast to rise by more than 40% in the first quarter, a sign that the pressure is spreading across the parts list inside laptops and desktops. (trendforce.com) Memory has always swung between glut and shortage, but this cycle is being driven by data-center buildouts rather than a smartphone or personal-computer boom. If suppliers keep steering their newest capacity toward artificial intelligence servers, the extra cost of “more memory” is likely to land on the next round of mainstream machines too. (trendforce.com, spglobal.com)
