AI Data Centers
Ongoing coverage on AI Data Centers.
Latest coverage
GoPro says it's moving into AI data centers as part of a $285 million merger
GoPro announced its entry into the AI data center market through a $285 million merger. This strategic move diversifies the company's business beyond its traditional camera products.
Why AI Data Centers Became the First Real Market for Solid-State Transformers
Solid-state transformers are finding their first major market in AI data centers, which require direct current power for their server racks. This technology, unlike traditional transformers designed in the 1880s, uses semiconductor switching for voltage conversion, allowing for mass manufacturing, modularity, and reduced size. Companies like Amperesand, Heron Power, and DG Matrix have raised significant funding to bring this technology to market, with AI data centers derisking the technology for broader adoption in areas like electric vehicle charging and modern homes.
SK Hynix Pours $38 Billion Into Two New DRAM and NAND Plants — But Chips Won’t Ship Until 2029
SK Hynix announced a significant investment of 54 trillion Korean won ($38.1 billion) to construct two new semiconductor fabrication plants in South Korea. One plant in Yongin will focus on HBM and DRAM, while the other in Cheongju will produce NAND storage chips. Production is not expected to begin until at least June 2029, indicating a long-term strategy to meet anticipated demand from AI data centers.
Morning Tech Bits
A PC Gamer article discusses a safeguard against potential power connector failures for the RTX 5090 graphics card. It also touches upon significant electricity price hikes in Virginia, attributed to AI data centers, leading to new regulations for companies.
Memory prices are predicted to rise as much as 50% in Q3 and it only gets worse from there
Memory prices for RAM and SSDs are predicted to increase significantly in Q3 and Q4 of 2026, with further year-on-year increases expected in 2027, driven by demand from AI data centers. A recovery is not anticipated until 2028. This price surge is already impacting PC builds and is expected to lead to price hikes for devices like iPads and Macbooks.
NAND flash makers earned a record $46 billion in revenues over the first quarter of 2026, a shocking 3.5 times more than…
NAND flash makers achieved record revenues of $46 billion in Q1 2026, driven primarily by the demand for enterprise-grade SSDs in AI data centers. This surge in demand has led to significantly higher prices for gaming SSDs and other storage devices, with projections indicating continued price increases due to limited production capacity.
The RTX 5090 is already out of reach for us mere PC gaming mortals, but board prices could make it a mythical beast
The upcoming Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card is expected to be prohibitively expensive for PC gamers due to rising component costs, particularly for GDDR7 memory. Board prices are projected to increase significantly, potentially making the card a 'mythical beast' for consumers. This trend, exacerbated by AI data center demand, is driving up prices across the PC hardware market, leading to recommendations for more budget-friendly options like the GeForce RTX 5070.
Valve wants to price Steam Machine as competitively as possible, but fears RAM shortages are "unavoidable" and…
Valve is striving to price the upcoming Steam Machine competitively despite facing unavoidable RAM shortages due to high demand from AI data centers. Hardware designer Lawrence Yang acknowledged that external factors have already increased the price of the Steam Controller and will continue to challenge affordable pricing for the Steam Machine.
CPU Prices Will Reportedly Rise Again For The Third Time This Year
Intel is reportedly planning a third CPU price increase this year, with prices expected to rise by 30 percent due to high demand from AI data centers and supply constraints. Separately, Valve has warned that Steam Deck OLED models may face intermittent stock shortages due to ongoing memory and storage component shortages impacting the PC and console markets.
The Entry-Level PC Will Disappear By 2028 Due To Ongoing RAM Crisis, Firm Predicts
Research firm Gartner predicts the entry-level PC market will vanish by 2028 due to a severe RAM shortage driven by AI data center demand. This shortage is expected to increase PC prices by 17% and smartphone prices by 13% compared to 2025, potentially delaying future console releases like the PlayStation 6.
"Creativity is the key": how PC hardware's smaller manufacturers are navigating the RAM shortage disaster
Smaller PC hardware manufacturers are navigating the current RAM shortage by using less memory in their products or leveraging their unique market position. Companies like Commodore International with the C64 Ultimate and Panic with the Playdate are less affected due to lower RAM requirements, while Framework utilizes a modular approach and direct supplier contact to manage component sourcing. Despite these strategies, some firms like the Pi Foundation have had to increase prices, and the overall outlook suggests the shortage, driven by AI demand, could persist for several more years.
