By December this year, there will not be enough memory or RAM for all your computers or mobile phones — an essential part of all computing devices — thanks to AI.
All computing devices require RAM for short-term memory storage, and the demand from companies like Nvidia , Advanced Micro Devices and Google for their artificial intelligence chips are far greater than the supply, according to a report by CNBC. They are first in line to get access to those components.
The businesses of Samsung Electronics, Micron and SK Hynix are experiencing a sharp surge in demand. They make up almost all of the RAM market.
“We have seen a very sharp, significant surge in demand for memory, and it has far outpaced our ability to supply that memory and, in our estimation, the supply capability of the whole memory industry,” Micron business chief Sumit Sadana was quoted as saying by CNBC at an event.
Shares of Micron have jumped 247% in a year, and in its most recent quarter the company reported its net income has tripled. Samsung, too, said earlier this week that its operating profit is expected to triple in the December quarter.
Meanwhile, SK Hynix, which is considering listing its stock in the US as prices in South Korea rise, said that it had secured its demand for its RAM capacity in all of 2026.
As a result of all of this, prices of memory are rising, CNBC reported.
Taipei-based research firm TrendForce, which closely covers the memory market, said earlier that DRAM memory prices may rise between 50% and 55% this quarter as compared to the fourth quarter of 2025.
Why is memory demand surging?
Companies like Nvidia used several blocks of a fast, specialised component known as a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to make their GPUs, according to the CNBC report quoting Sadana.
Micron supplies these HBMs to both Nvidia and AMD — two leading GPU manufacturers.
Now, GPUs used for AI use hundreds of gigabytes of HBM as compared to traditional smartphones or laptops. When one bit of HBM memory is made, three bits of more conventional memory for laptops and smartphones are let go by companies.
“As we increase HBM supply, it leaves less memory left over for the non-HBM portion of the market, because of this three-to-one basis,” Sadana told CNBC.
According to TrendForce analyst Tom Hsu, who spoke to CNBC, said that HBM manufacturers are favouring AI companies as there is more room for demand and cloud service providers are less price-sensitive.
Sold out this year
Companies like Apple and Dell are faced with questions from the Wall Street about how they are going to address the crisis and if they are going to increase prices of consumer products or cut margins.
According to Hsu, memory accounts for 20% of the hardware costs of laptops these days, as compared to the 10-18% in the first half of 2025.
Apple finance chief Kevan Parekh had in October warned analysts about a “slight tailwind” in memory prices but downplayed it as “nothing really to note there”, CNBC reported.
But Dell had in November said its cost basis for all products were expected to go up due to memory shortage.
According to Sadana, two-thirds of the medium-term memory requirements can be met at most by Micron for this year.
But for now, “we’re sold out for 2026,” he said.
Key Takeaways
- The surge in AI demand is leading to a critical shortage of RAM, affecting all computing devices.
- Major RAM manufacturers like Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix are experiencing unprecedented growth in profits.
- Experts predict that DRAM memory prices will rise significantly by up to 55% by the end of 2026.
About the Author
