Memory prices have recently surged by 100% or more, driven by market pressure from the massive demand for memory chips amid the AI infrastructure buildout. Because of this, memory module manufacturers are reportedly delaying the launch of new memory kits, which were expected to arrive in the latter half of 2025. According to Hardwareluxx [machine translated], the companies are moving their new product releases to 2026 to see the effect of the supply crunch on memory pricing.
Writing for Hardwareluxx, Andreas Schilling has charted big price rises on popular RAM kits from vendors including Corsair and Teamgroup. In the context of the report, Schilling also noted, "We are aware of several memory kit manufacturers who have announced that they will not be introducing or launching the kits planned for the third and fourth quarters of this year," claiming instead these vendors are waiting and seeing how memory prices develop in 2026. Schilling did not specify which vendors this may refer to or give any details about specific products affected by the paused launches.
Unfortunately, we do not expect any positive news on the supply end for memory chips. Reports suggest that manufacturers have no plans to increase RAM production, meaning the shortage will extend next year, and possibly well into 2027. If the situation does not change, experts say that the pricing apocalypse will last a decade. The expected shortages and accompanying price increases of memory modules are now being directly felt by consumers across the globe, with retailers in Japan now limiting sales due to the lack of supply.
However, the memory chip shortage is far-reaching and won’t be limited to those looking for more RAM. There have been rumors that the Nvidia 5000 Super Series of GPUs will never materialize because of the scarcity. Although the company hasn’t yet announced the refresh of its Blackwell consumer graphics cards, they’re typically released 12 to 18 months after the arrival of a new generation of GPUs. Even smartphone makers are feeling the pinch, with Xiaomi warning of higher prices for its handsets because of the skyrocketing memory costs.
Chip manufacturers are converting their DRAM production lines to HBM to capture the massive demand from the AI industry. Since the biggest DRAM manufacturers also make NAND chips, and they’re prioritizing production for AI chips, it means that we can also expect shortages in storage drives like SSDs and memory cards. But because of the semiconductor industry's volatility, they are not keen on building new fabs to increase output. This is especially true with all the talk of the AI bubble, meaning these companies aren’t willing to invest billions of dollars in new facilities that take years to build, only to have the bubble pop and leave them with gleaming new factories with practically zero demand.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.