RAM Shortage - Revision history

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	*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.<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 \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208065852/https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program \|archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>		*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 \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208065852/https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program \|archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>
	*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murtaza \|first=Fawad \|date=2026-01-22 \|title=AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support \|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=NotebookCheck}}</ref>, and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Yee \|first=Alainia \|date=2026-01-23 \|title=Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260124075610/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|archive-date=24 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Kinghorn \|first=Jess \|date=2026-01-14 \|title=Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260117162610/https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|archive-date=17 Jan 2026}}</ref><br />		*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murtaza \|first=Fawad \|date=2026-01-22 \|title=AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support \|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=NotebookCheck \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260224121950/https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html \|archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref>, and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Yee \|first=Alainia \|date=2026-01-23 \|title=Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260124075610/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|archive-date=24 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Kinghorn \|first=Jess \|date=2026-01-14 \|title=Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260117162610/https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|archive-date=17 Jan 2026}}</ref><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<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Corden \|first=Jez \|date=2026-01-13 \|title=Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud \|url=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 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Windows Central \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221193537/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 \|archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>, and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=MonkeyExplains \|first= \|date=2026-01-18 \|title=RAM Prices Are Worse Then You Think \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gamers Nexus \|date=2025-12-05 \|title=WTF Just Happened? \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><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<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Corden \|first=Jez \|date=2026-01-13 \|title=Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud \|url=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 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Windows Central \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221193537/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 \|archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>, and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=MonkeyExplains \|first= \|date=2026-01-18 \|title=RAM Prices Are Worse Then You Think \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gamers Nexus \|date=2025-12-05 \|title=WTF Just Happened? \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><br />

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	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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107025034/https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111210901/https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|archive-date=11 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260218163201/https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|archive-date=18 Feb 2026}}</ref> [[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'']]		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107025034/https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111210901/https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|archive-date=11 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220191816/https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260218163201/https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|archive-date=18 Feb 2026}}</ref> [[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 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Crider \|first=Michael \|date=2026-02-10 \|title=Report: Desperate PC manufacturers are turning to China for RAM \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html \|access-date=2026-02-11 \|work=PC World}}</ref>		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Crider \|first=Michael \|date=2026-02-10 \|title=Report: Desperate PC manufacturers are turning to China for RAM \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html \|access-date=2026-02-11 \|work=PC World \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224121921/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html \|archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref>

	==Causes of the shortage==		==Causes of the shortage==

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	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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107025034/https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111210901/https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|archive-date=11 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> [[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'']]		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107025034/https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111210901/https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|archive-date=11 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260218163201/https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|archive-date=18 Feb 2026}}</ref> [[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==

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	}}		}}

	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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> [[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'']]		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107025034/https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111210901/https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|archive-date=11 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> [[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==
Line 15:		Line 15:

	==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.<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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murphy \|first=Darragh \|date=2026-01-14 \|title='DRAM shortages could persist for quite some time now': Micron on RAM crisis lasting until 2028 with high AI demand, 'we are still servicing the consumer market' \|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/theres-just-not-enough-supply-to-go-around-micron-believes-ram-shortage-wont-improve-until-2028-at-least-until-the-ai-demand-starts-to-fade-away \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Guide}}</ref>		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 \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260115053840/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 \|archive-date=15 Jan 2026}}</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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murphy \|first=Darragh \|date=2026-01-14 \|title='DRAM shortages could persist for quite some time now': Micron on RAM crisis lasting until 2028 with high AI demand, 'we are still servicing the consumer market' \|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/theres-just-not-enough-supply-to-go-around-micron-believes-ram-shortage-wont-improve-until-2028-at-least-until-the-ai-demand-starts-to-fade-away \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Guide \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222085320/https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/theres-just-not-enough-supply-to-go-around-micron-believes-ram-shortage-wont-improve-until-2028-at-least-until-the-ai-demand-starts-to-fade-away \|archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref>

	==Corporate response==		==Corporate response==
Line 21:		Line 21:
	===Micron===		===Micron===
	{{Main\|Exit of Crucial from consumer business}}		{{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>		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 \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220192654/https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business \|archive-date=20 Feb 2026}}</ref>

	===Samsung===		===Samsung===
	Samsung has promised to continue selling SSDs despite rumors that it had plans to leave the consumer market.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Batt \|first=Simon \|date=2025-12-15 \|title=No, we're not backing out of the consumer SSD market, says Samsung \|url=https://www.xda-developers.com/not-backing-out-of-consumer-ssd-market-samsung/#:~:text=We%27ll%20keep%20selling%20SSDs%20to%20the%20consumer%2C%20says%20Samsung&text=Right%20now%2C%20we%27re%20seeing,supplying%20us%20with%20its%20hardware. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=XDA Developers}}</ref>		Samsung has promised to continue selling SSDs despite rumors that it had plans to leave the consumer market.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Batt \|first=Simon \|date=2025-12-15 \|title=No, we're not backing out of the consumer SSD market, says Samsung \|url=https://www.xda-developers.com/not-backing-out-of-consumer-ssd-market-samsung/#:~:text=We%27ll%20keep%20selling%20SSDs%20to%20the%20consumer%2C%20says%20Samsung&text=Right%20now%2C%20we%27re%20seeing,supplying%20us%20with%20its%20hardware. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=XDA Developers \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260109215923/https://www.xda-developers.com/not-backing-out-of-consumer-ssd-market-samsung/ \|archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref>

	==Consequences==		==Consequences==
Line 30:		Line 30:
	*Samsung and SK Hynix have increased RAM prices due to slowed production and less competition from Micron.		*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.<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>		*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 \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208065852/https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program \|archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>
	*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murtaza \|first=Fawad \|date=2026-01-22 \|title=AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support \|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=NotebookCheck}}</ref>, and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Yee \|first=Alainia \|date=2026-01-23 \|title=Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Kinghorn \|first=Jess \|date=2026-01-14 \|title=Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><br />		*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murtaza \|first=Fawad \|date=2026-01-22 \|title=AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support \|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=NotebookCheck}}</ref>, and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Yee \|first=Alainia \|date=2026-01-23 \|title=Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260124075610/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|archive-date=24 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Kinghorn \|first=Jess \|date=2026-01-14 \|title=Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260117162610/https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|archive-date=17 Jan 2026}}</ref><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<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Corden \|first=Jez \|date=2026-01-13 \|title=Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud \|url=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 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Windows Central}}</ref>, and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=MonkeyExplains \|first= \|date=2026-01-18 \|title=RAM Prices Are Worse Then You Think \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gamers Nexus \|date=2025-12-05 \|title=WTF Just Happened? \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube}}</ref><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<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Corden \|first=Jez \|date=2026-01-13 \|title=Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud \|url=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 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Windows Central \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221193537/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 \|archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>, and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=MonkeyExplains \|first= \|date=2026-01-18 \|title=RAM Prices Are Worse Then You Think \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gamers Nexus \|date=2025-12-05 \|title=WTF Just Happened? \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref><br />

	==References==		==References==

NitezInHyperspace: Fixed citations, added a little more text to Samsung's Corporate response... if anything needs elaboration/fixing just let me know.

2026-02-19T18:48:33Z

Fixed citations, added a little more text to Samsung's Corporate response... if anything needs elaboration/fixing just let me know.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:48, 19 February 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	}}		}}

	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'']]		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Ehrhardt \|first=Michelle \|date=2025-12-10 \|title=Why RAM Prices Are Going Way, Way Up (and Why You Should Care) \|url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/ram-prices-going-up#:~:text=But%20the%20largest%20RAM%20price,doubled%20profits%20over%20last%20year. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Lifehacker}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Garreffa \|first=Anthony \|date=2025-12-27 \|title=AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards will be more expensive in early 2026 because of DRAM crisis \|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109484/amd-and-nvidia-graphics-cards-will-be-more-expensive-in-early-2026-because-of-dram-crisis/index.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=TweakTown}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Munnawer \|first=Amna \|date=2026-02-12 \|title=Why SSDs Are Getting More Expensive In 2026? \|url=https://directmacro.com/blog/post/why-ssds-are-getting-expensive \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Direct Macro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Nasir \|first=Hassam \|date=2026-02-17 \|title=New report shows RAM prices are continuing to fall in Germany, US trends less certain — SSDs and HDDs are more expensive than ever in the States \|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/new-report-shows-ram-prices-are-continuing-to-fall-in-germany-u-s-trends-less-certain-ssds-and-hdds-are-more-expensive-than-ever \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Hardware}}</ref> [[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 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.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html\|~~title=Report: Desperate PC manufacturers are turning to China for RAM\|~~date=2026-02-10\|work=PC World~~\|first=Michael\|last=Crider~~}}</ref>		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Crider \|first=Michael \|date=2026-02-10 \|title=Report: Desperate PC manufacturers are turning to China for RAM \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html \|access-date=2026-02-11 \|work=PC World}}</ref>

	==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.<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~~}}		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.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murphy \|first=Darragh \|date=2026-01-14 \|title='DRAM shortages could persist for quite some time now': Micron on RAM crisis lasting until 2028 with high AI demand, 'we are still servicing the consumer market' \|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/theres-just-not-enough-supply-to-go-around-micron-believes-ram-shortage-wont-improve-until-2028-at-least-until-the-ai-demand-starts-to-fade-away \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Tom's Guide}}</ref>

	==Corporate response==		==Corporate response==

	=== Micron ===		===Micron===
	{{Main\|Exit of Crucial from consumer business}}		{{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>		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===
	Samsung has promised to continue selling SSDs		Samsung has promised to continue selling SSDs despite rumors that it had plans to leave the consumer market.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Batt \|first=Simon \|date=2025-12-15 \|title=No, we're not backing out of the consumer SSD market, says Samsung \|url=https://www.xda-developers.com/not-backing-out-of-consumer-ssd-market-samsung/#:~:text=We%27ll%20keep%20selling%20SSDs%20to%20the%20consumer%2C%20says%20Samsung&text=Right%20now%2C%20we%27re%20seeing,supplying%20us%20with%20its%20hardware. \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=XDA Developers}}</ref>

	==Consequences==		==Consequences==
Line 31:		Line 31:
	*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.<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>		*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]]~~<br />		*Consumers resorting to buying DDR4 <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Murtaza \|first=Fawad \|date=2026-01-22 \|title=AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support \|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=NotebookCheck}}</ref>, and even DDR3, to avoid higher prices.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Yee \|first=Alainia \|date=2026-01-23 \|title=Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need \|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Kinghorn \|first=Jess \|date=2026-01-14 \|title=Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead \|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=PC Gamer}}</ref><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<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Corden \|first=Jez \|date=2026-01-13 \|title=Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud \|url=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 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Windows Central}}</ref>, and increasingly by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=MonkeyExplains \|first= \|date=2026-01-18 \|title=RAM Prices Are Worse Then You Think \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gamers Nexus \|date=2025-12-05 \|title=WTF Just Happened? \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-19 \|website=Youtube}}</ref><br />

	==References==		==References==

Mr Pollo at 02:50, 14 February 2026

2026-02-14T02:50:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:50, 14 February 2026
Line 38:		Line 38:
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	~~{{Ph-I-C}}~~		[[Category:2025 incidents]]
			[[Category:2026 incidents]]

Mr Pollo at 02:49, 14 February 2026

2026-02-14T02:49:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:49, 14 February 2026
Line 12:		Line 12:

	==Background==		==Background==
	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.		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.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3057590/report-desperate-pc-manufacturers-turn-to-china-for-ram.html\|title=Report: Desperate PC manufacturers are turning to China for RAM\|date=2026-02-10\|work=PC World\|first=Michael\|last=Crider}}</ref>

	==Causes of the shortage==		==Causes of the shortage==

Bythmusters: Partial cleanup, please convert the rest of the citations to the official wiki format. It makes maintaining the article much easier.

2026-02-12T05:30:06Z

Partial cleanup, please convert the rest of the citations to the official wiki format. It makes maintaining the article much easier.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:30, 12 February 2026
Line 5:		Line 5:
	\|Status=Active		\|Status=Active
	\|ArticleType=Product		\|ArticleType=Product
	\|Type=Price Fixing		\|Type=Price Fixing, Supply Shortage
	\|Description=OpenAI ~~purchased almost half~~ of ~~the~~ RAM.		\|Description=OpenAI has made large RAM purchasing deals with major manufacturers for its Stargate project, leading to a consumer shortage of RAM globally.
	}}		}}

	The '''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' ~~is an event that~~ started at 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 price increase of DRAM in the 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 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'']]		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 ~~the Artificial Intelligence~~. Seeing this, more companies wanted to develop their own AI models and build infrastructure to compete in the AI market.		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. ~~[[https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 1]]~~ It is expected the RAM shortage could last until 2028. {{Citation needed}}		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.[[https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business ~~2]]~~		{{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===
Line 28:		Line 28:
	==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 Sk Hynix have increased RAM prices due to slowed production and less competition from Micron.		*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.[[https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program~~?srsltid~~=~~AfmBOooo1KkNAbHNsvNJsk3sLiGEtU3e8NhnDQhSLCDVhO0I4GWNKrRf 3]]~~		*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}}~~[1] [https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 OpenAI crashed the global memory supply]~~		{{reflist}}

	~~[2] [https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business Micron Announces Exit from Crucial Consumer Business]~~

	~~[3] [https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program?srsltid=AfmBOooo1KkNAbHNsvNJsk3sLiGEtU3e8NhnDQhSLCDVhO0I4GWNKrRf MAINGEAR BYO RAM Program]~~

	[4] [https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support]

	[5] [https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need]

	[6] [https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead]

	[7] [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 Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud]

	~~[8] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU RAM prices are Worse Than You Think]~~

	~~[9] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s WTF Just Happened? \| The Corrupt Memory Industry & Micron]~~



	{{Ph-I-C}}		{{Ph-I-C}}

NitezInHyperspace: /Added more info, fixed spelling, sentence structure, etc, cleaned up some of the citations/

2026-02-10T00:48:19Z

Added more info, fixed spelling, sentence structure, etc, cleaned up some of the citations

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:48, 10 February 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	}}		}}

	'''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' is an event that started at 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 price increase of ~~DRAMs~~ in the 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 in 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'']]		The '''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' is an event that started at 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 price increase of DRAM in the 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 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 pioneer of the Artificial Intelligence ~~boom in the entire world~~. ~~More~~ companies wanted to develop their own ~~AIs~~ and build infrastructure to compete in the AI market.		With the release of [[ChatGPT]], OpenAI became the leading pioneer of the 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, 70% of all RAM usage ~~is expected to come from AI data centers~~. [1] It is expected the RAM shortage could last until 2028. {{Citation needed}}		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. [[https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 1]] 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=== {{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.		Micron has exited the consumer RAM market to focus resources toward manufacturing RAM to supply AI data centers.[[https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business 2]]

	===Samsung===		===Samsung===
Line 28:		Line 28:
	==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 Hk Hynix have increased RAM prices due to slowed production and less competition from Micron~~<br />~~		*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 ~~them~~ 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.
	*~~This also has caused some~~ manufacturers ~~to sell~~ their computers without DRAM included.		*Some manufacturers selling their computers without DRAM included. One notable example is Maingear, who has started their own BYO (bring your own) RAM program.[[https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program?srsltid=AfmBOooo1KkNAbHNsvNJsk3sLiGEtU3e8NhnDQhSLCDVhO0I4GWNKrRf 3]]
			*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]]


	==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. ~~They have posted several~~ content in social media talking about the topic and ~~their~~ negative impact to personal computing, for example by highlighting the potential ~~fuffilment~~ of Jeff Bezos' desire for consumers to rent computing power from the cloud, taking away ownership, [3] or by making several YouTube videos stating how this will impact the future of home computing. [4] [5]<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}}[https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 ~~<nowiki>[1] Medium</nowiki>~~]		{{reflist}}[1] [https://medium.com/predict/openai-crashed-the-global-memory-supply-4cc7136c3e73 OpenAI crashed the global memory supply]

	[https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business ~~<nowiki>[2]~~ Micron ~~Investors</nowiki>~~]		[2] [https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business Micron Announces Exit from Crucial Consumer Business]

	[3] [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 Windows Central~~]		[3] [https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program?srsltid=AfmBOooo1KkNAbHNsvNJsk3sLiGEtU3e8NhnDQhSLCDVhO0I4GWNKrRf MAINGEAR BYO RAM Program]

	[4] [https://www.~~youtube~~.~~com~~/~~watch?v=IfOREULEqRU RAM~~ prices ~~are Worse Than You Think~~]		[4] [https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Zen-3-AM4-CPU-prices-surge-as-customers-flock-to-desktop-processors-with-DDR4-support.1209042.0.html AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support]

	[5][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s WTF Just Happened? \| The Corrupt Memory Industry & Micron]{{Ph-I-C}}		[5] [https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040452/surprise-ddr3-isnt-dead-and-it-might-be-the-budget-pc-gaming-answer-you-need.html Surprise! DDR3 isn’t dead—and it might be the budget PC gaming answer you need]

			[6] [https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/seeing-the-absolute-state-of-memory-pricing-chinese-diy-community-opts-for-ddr3-motherboards-instead/ Seeing the absolute state of memory pricing, Chinese DIY community opts for DDR3 motherboards instead]

			[7] [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 Jeff Bezos said the quiet part out loud — hopes that you'll give up your PC to rent one from the cloud]

			[8] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOREULEqRU RAM prices are Worse Than You Think]

			[9] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A-eeJP0J7c&t=633s WTF Just Happened? \| The Corrupt Memory Industry & Micron]



			{{Ph-I-C}}

ClippyWantsToHelp at 23:03, 9 February 2026

2026-02-09T23:03:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:03, 9 February 2026
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	}}		}}

	'''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' is an event that started at the end of 2025, with ~~a significant increase in the prices of~~ [[wikipedia:Dynamic_random-access_memory\|dynamic random-access memory (DRAM)]]. {{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 in 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'']]		'''RAM shortage''' or '''RAM crisis''' is an event that started at 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 price increase of DRAMs in the 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 in 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==

RAM Shortage - Revision history

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 2 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 12 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

NitezInHyperspace: Fixed citations, added a little more text to Samsung's Corporate response... if anything needs elaboration/fixing just let me know.

Mr Pollo at 02:50, 14 February 2026

Mr Pollo at 02:49, 14 February 2026

Bythmusters: Partial cleanup, please convert the rest of the citations to the official wiki format. It makes maintaining the article much easier.

NitezInHyperspace: /*Added more info, fixed spelling, sentence structure, etc, cleaned up some of the citations*/

ClippyWantsToHelp at 23:03, 9 February 2026

NitezInHyperspace: /Added more info, fixed spelling, sentence structure, etc, cleaned up some of the citations/