"Memory suppliers just blew a hole in the PC gaming industry - and they're about to do the same to everything else. For weeks, PC enthusiasts have borne the brunt of skyrocketing memory prices, but the shockwaves will soon impact a wider range of products as suppliers pour resources into a far bigger and more lucrative endeavor: AI. The biggest names in the AI industry are buying up DRAM memory for their sprawling data centers, and memory makers are prioritizing their demands over everyone else's."
"DRAM is embedded "in every part of our digital society today," Jeff Janukowicz, research VP at IDC, tells The Verge. That's everything from laptops to smartphones, gaming consoles, smart TVs, cars, and even small amounts in solid-state drives (SSDs). "There's a lot at stake," he says. The smartphone upgrade you've been eyeing might cost even more next year: the 12GB of memory in a flagship Samsung Galaxy smartphone now reportedly costs the company nearly $40 more."
DRAM suppliers are shifting production and inventory toward AI data-center customers, causing tight supply and higher memory prices for consumer devices. The concentration of DRAM production among Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron intensifies the impact, as those firms control roughly 93 percent of the global DRAM market. Increased RAM costs are already raising smartphone component expenses and prompting forecasts of fewer phone sales and higher average prices in 2026. Laptop makers may reduce specifications, gaming consoles could see price hikes, and some consumer brands are warning customers about impending price increases due to the RAM shortage.
Read at The Verge
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