RAM Shortage: Difference between revisions
Bythmusters (talk | contribs) m Partial cleanup, please convert the rest of the citations to the official wiki format. It makes maintaining the article much easier. |
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|Status=Active | |Status=Active | ||
|ArticleType=Product | |ArticleType=Product | ||
|Type=Price Fixing | |Type=Price Fixing, Supply Shortage | ||
|Description=OpenAI | |Description=OpenAI has made large RAM purchasing deals with major manufacturers for its Stargate project, leading to a consumer shortage of RAM globally. | ||
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The '''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' | The '''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' started around the end of 2025 as a consequence of AI companies making deals with hardware manufacturers to produce and supply the AI companies with [[wikipedia:Dynamic_random-access_memory|dynamic random-access memory (DRAM)]]. This caused a significant supply shortage and corresponding price increase of DRAM in the consumer market.{{Citation needed}} Prices of other computer components, such as [[wikipedia:Solid-state_drive|solid-state drives (SSDs)]] and [[wikipedia:Graphics_processing_unit|graphics processing units (GPUs)]] have also increased, although at a lesser scale.{{Citation needed}} [[File:CrucialProOverclocking32GB(2x16GB)DDR5-6000CL36MemoryPriceIncreasePCPartPicker.png|thumb|A screenshot of a graph from [https://pcpartpicker.com/ PcPartPicker] taken on 02-06-2026 showing the price increase of the product ''Crucial Pro Overclocking 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory'']] | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
With the release of [[ChatGPT]], OpenAI became the leading pioneer of | With the release of [[ChatGPT]], [[OpenAI]] became the leading pioneer of artificial intelligence. Seeing this, more companies wanted to develop their own AI models and build infrastructure to compete in the AI market. [[Samsung]], [[Micron]], and [[SK Hynix]] are the main RAM producers for consumers and corporations. | ||
[[Samsung]], [[Micron]], and [[SK Hynix]] are the main RAM producers for consumers and corporations. | |||
==Causes of the shortage== | ==Causes of the shortage== | ||
On October 1st 2025, OpenAI signed deals with major memory manufacturers to secure 40% of global RAM production. As of February 2026, RAM prices have tripled compared to October 2025. By late 2026, AI datacenters are expected to take 70% of all RAM usage. | On October 1st 2025, OpenAI signed deals with major memory manufacturers to secure 40% of global RAM production.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shilov |first=Anton |date=2025-10-01 |title=OpenAI's Stargate project to consume up to 40% of global DRAM output — inks deal with Samsung and SK hynix to the tune of up to 900,000 wafers per month |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/dram/openais-stargate-project-to-consume-up-to-40-percent-of-global-dram-output-inks-deal-with-samsung-and-sk-hynix-to-the-tune-of-up-to-900-000-wafers-per-month |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> As of February 2026, RAM prices have tripled compared to October 2025. By late 2026, AI datacenters are expected to take 70% of all RAM usage. It is expected the RAM shortage could last until 2028.{{Citation needed}} | ||
==Corporate response== | ==Corporate response== | ||
===Micron=== {{Main|Exit of Crucial from consumer business}} | === Micron === | ||
Micron has exited the consumer RAM market to focus resources toward manufacturing RAM to supply AI data centers. | {{Main|Exit of Crucial from consumer business}} | ||
Micron has exited the consumer RAM market to focus resources toward manufacturing RAM to supply AI data centers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Satya |last2=Plungy |first2=Mark |date=2025-12-03 |title=Micron Announces Exit from Crucial Consumer Business |url=https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Micron}}</ref> | |||
===Samsung=== | ===Samsung=== | ||
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==Consequences== | ==Consequences== | ||
The shortage of DRAM has already affected personal computing, with consequences like: | The shortage of DRAM has already affected personal computing, with consequences like: | ||
*Samsung and | *Samsung and SK Hynix have increased RAM prices due to slowed production and less competition from Micron. | ||
*The DRAM price increase has also increased the price to purchase a whole new computer, making computers a less accessible product for a regular consumer. | *The DRAM price increase has also increased the price to purchase a whole new computer, making computers a less accessible product for a regular consumer. | ||
*Some manufacturers selling their computers without DRAM included. One notable example is Maingear, who has started their own BYO (bring your own) RAM program. | *Some manufacturers selling their computers without DRAM included. One notable example is Maingear, who has started their own BYO (bring your own) RAM program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bring your own RAM, we’ll build you a complete PC. |url=https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Maingear}}</ref> | ||
*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 [[https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html 4]], and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.[[https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html 5]][[https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ 6]] | *Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 [[https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html 4]], and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.[[https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html 5]][[https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ 6]]<br /> | ||
==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||
The RAM shortage has caused outrage amongst consumers, talking about how manufacturers are prioritizing the profits of the AI market and ignoring regular consumers. Lots of content on social media has been posted talking about the topic and its negative impact on personal computing, for example by highlighting the potential fulfillment of Jeff Bezos' desire for consumers to rent computing power from the cloud; taking away ownership, [[https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/jeff-bezos-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-bezos-envisions-that-youll-give-up-your-pc-for-an-ai-cloud-version 7]] and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU 8]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s 9]]<br /> | The RAM shortage has caused outrage amongst consumers, talking about how manufacturers are prioritizing the profits of the AI market and ignoring regular consumers. Lots of content on social media has been posted talking about the topic and its negative impact on personal computing, for example by highlighting the potential fulfillment of Jeff Bezos' desire for consumers to rent computing power from the cloud; taking away ownership, [[https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/jeff-bezos-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-bezos-envisions-that-youll-give-up-your-pc-for-an-ai-cloud-version 7]] and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU 8]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s 9]]<br /> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
{{Ph-I-C}} | {{Ph-I-C}} | ||