Companies have begun stockpiling RAM as AI datacentres start to consume the world’s supply, leading to increased prices for the rest of us. Counterpoint research is expecting an average price increase of 50 per cent, but we’ve even seen some already skyrocket up 110 per cent.
If this shortage continues, it will affect more than gamers who build their own computers. Every tech device uses RAM, meaning this could push up the prices of TVs, phones, and even medical equipment.
A report from Bloomberg clarifies that it’s not all RAM that’s being sucked up by AI. Rather, there are two types of RAM, one that aids processing tasks and one that stores information. Since DRAM is being used in AI tasks, it is selling for more money, since companies are pivoting to focus on that type. That means anyone who needs the other kind of RAM will have to pay more for it since it’s now in shorter supply.
Dell’s COO says that he’s never seen “costs move at this rate,” in a call with analysts. He also mentioned that NAND flash memory products were also going up. The company is trying to work on its configurations and product mix to compensate for this, according to Bloomberg, but the exec still warns that customers will likely see a price increase in its products.
In Canada, the boutique PC builder Qupted Tech posted on Reddit, sharing that even with the rising costs of RAM, the harder challenge right now is getting RAM at all. Since there is a shortage, it seems like it’s selling out instantly to bigger players. That said, the companies suppliers are hopeful this will settle down by the end of Q1 2026.
A representative of HP told the publication that the back half of 2026 is going to be the most challenging. To help offset this, the company is considering aggressive pricing, finding new memory supplies, and simply putting less RAM in some products. They also mentioned that RAM costs make up 15-18 per cent of the total cost of a typical computer.
This is pretty tough for all of us, but if you’re a memory company like SK Hynix Inc., you’re having a great year. The report even mentions that SK Hynix has already sold its total chip allotment for next year. Lenovo also hopes to come out of this ahead due to its far-reaching supply chain, but Bloomberg mentions that the company is still acknowledging that the price surge is unprecedented.
Apple is also feeling confident that since it’s a top customer to a lot of the supply chain, it will be able to use its power to keep things manageable. The company seems set to manage costs well, but CFO Kevan Parekh has mentioned that some “new products do have a slightly higher cost structure.” There isn’t much more than that, but my guess is that since Apple already prices its RAM upgrades at a premium, it should be set to weather this storm.
Source: Bloomberg
