Hopes for a near-term resolution to the ongoing shortages and high prices of PC components, particularly RAM, may be fading. Industry insiders suggest that the three largest memory manufacturers—Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix—have already committed their entire production output for 2027, according to a report by Taiwanese newspaper DigiTimes.
This alleged sell-out extends to both DRAM, the memory type found in standard RAM modules, graphics cards, and SSDs, as well as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). The report indicates that this pre-sale of manufacturing capacity means that the supply of new RAM chips is effectively tapped out until 2028. This situation is likely to prolong the current pricing challenges for PC RAM, storage solutions, and graphics cards.
Samsung had previously acknowledged that prices were expected to continue rising through 2027. Valve, which has faced significant difficulties with component shortages impacting its Steam Deck hardware, also indicated that the situation was unlikely to improve soon. The current predicament has also seen these three companies face a price-fixing lawsuit in the United States.
While NAND flash memory, used in storage devices, is reportedly in a slightly better position with some 2027 output still available, this too is expected to sell out imminently. This could mean that even budget-friendly SSDs might remain expensive for the next two years. The issue is compounded by sold-out production lines for traditional mechanical hard drives as well.
Efforts to diversify the supply chain are underway, with the growing Chinese manufacturing sector, particularly DRAM makers like CXMT, being looked to as a potential alternative. However, any impact on consumer PC parts is expected to be slow. Only a few major PC manufacturers, such as HP, Asus, and Acer, have begun incorporating CXMT memory, primarily in products for the Asian market.
The demand from the artificial intelligence industry, which requires significant hardware resources, is also cited as a major factor driving these shortages. Data centers could absorb any increased component availability, suggesting that the current market pressure may not subside soon, despite wishes from the gaming industry and consumers alike.