"DRAM contract prices have increased 171 percent year over year, according to industry data. Gerry Chen, general manager of memory manufacturer TeamGroup, warned that the situation will worsen in the first half of 2026 once distributors exhaust their remaining inventory. He expects supply constraints to persist through late 2027 or beyond."
"The fault lies squarely at the feet of AI mania in the tech industry. The construction of new AI infrastructure has created unprecedented demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the specialized DRAM used in AI accelerators from Nvidia and AMD. Memory manufacturers have been reallocating production capacity away from consumer products toward these more profitable enterprise components, and Micron has presold its entire HBM output through 2026."
DRAM contract prices have surged 171 percent year over year amid intense demand from AI infrastructure. Distributors' inventories are depleting, and industry leaders expect conditions to worsen in the first half of 2026 with supply constraints potentially lasting through late 2027 or beyond. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) demand for AI accelerators has prompted manufacturers to reallocate capacity from consumer DRAM to higher-margin enterprise products, and major suppliers have presold HBM output through 2026. Large AI projects reportedly claim substantial portions of global wafer production, forcing laptop makers and DIY PC vendors to restrict sales and plan price increases.
Read at Ars Technica
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