Memory prices have skyrocketed recently due to market pressure, mainly due to the huge memory demand brought about by AI infrastructure construction. According to foreign media Hardwareluxx, memory module manufacturers have postponed new memory packages from the second half of 2025 to 2026, hoping to observe the impact of supply tightening on memory prices.
The report pointed out that due to the substantial price increases of popular memory packages from brands such as Corsair and Team Group, "a number of memory module manufacturers stated that they would not launch the new packages originally planned in the third and fourth quarters of this year." These manufacturers chose to wait and see the memory price trend in 2026, but did not disclose which specific products were postponed.
Previous market news revealed that memory manufacturers have no plans to increase DRAM production, which means that the shortage will continue into next year, and possibly even all the way to 2027. If the situation remains unchanged, some experts believe that this price storm will continue for ten years. Shortages and price increases have now directly impacted consumers around the world, with Japanese retailers even beginning to restrict purchases due to insufficient supply.
The impact of the memory chip shortage is far-reaching, and it won’t just be consumers who want to upgrade their RAM. There are rumors that Nvidia 5000 Super series GPUs may not come out at all due to supply shortages. Although Nvidia has not announced the Super version of Blackwell consumer graphics cards, it is usually released 12 to 18 months after the launch of the new generation. Smartphone manufacturers have also been hit, with Xiaomi warning that phone prices may rise due to soaring memory costs.
Currently, memory manufacturers are shifting their DRAM production lines to produce HBM to meet the huge demand in the AI industry. Since major DRAM manufacturers also produce NAND and are now giving priority to supplying it to AI, there may also be a shortage of NAND used in storage devices such as SSDs and memory cards.
At the same time, because memory is an industry with obvious business cycles, the industry is reluctant to build new wafer fabs to increase production capacity. Especially now that the outside world is constantly discussing whether the AI bubble will burst. No one is willing to spend billions of dollars to build a factory that will take many years to complete. As a result, after the bubble bursts, there will be only overcapacity and no demand.
Hersteller verschieben neue Speicher-Serien Manufacturers reportedly delaying launch of new memory modules due to massive price crunch — products slated for 4Q25 now expected to arrive in 2026 Further reading: Memory industry’s capital expenditures next year will remain conservative, TrendForce: Supply will exceed demand throughout 2026 Memory shortages are spreading across the board! DDR4 and DDR5 quotations have all increased, ASUS plans to adjust prices moderately, and Qisda will transfer costs