"Instead of expanding conventional DRAM and NAND used in smartphones, PCs and other consumer electronics, major memory makers have shifted production toward memory used in AI data centers, such as high-bandwidth (HBM) and high-capacity DDR5,"
"further cost and price increases are highly likely over the next months."
"The IDC says prices could rise by 6 to 8 percent in 2026 if its most pessimistic scenario comes true."
Demand from AI data centers has shifted memory production away from conventional DRAM and NAND and toward high-bandwidth (HBM) and high-capacity DDR5. That supply shift has raised prices for consumer-facing RAM and pushed PC manufacturers to increase retail prices. In a worst-case model, PC shipments could decline by up to 8.9% in 2026 and RAM prices could rise 6–8% that year. AI-capable PCs require substantially more memory, making them particularly vulnerable to memory-cost pressure. Smartphone average selling prices could also increase 6–8%, with shipments potentially falling up to 5.2%. Larger companies with cash reserves and long-term supply deals can better absorb higher memory costs.
Read at Engadget
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