Memory Crisis
Ongoing coverage on Memory Crisis.
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iBuyPower's RTX 5060 RDY rig is a sign of how bad the memory crisis has become
The iBuyPower RDY Scale B06 gaming PC offers a decent build but suffers from significant compromises, particularly in its single-channel memory and the performance of its Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, making it a poor value at full price. While its thermals are excellent and the build is clean, the current memory crisis exacerbates its shortcomings, leading to a disappointing experience for modern gaming and content creation.
Nvidia says it would be making a whole lot more money if it weren't for the memory crisis it's contributing to
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that the company's projected 70% revenue increase for fiscal year 2028 is conservative due to a global memory crisis, which Nvidia's own AI hardware demands are exacerbating. Despite strong data center revenue, consumer PC sales are tempered by elevated memory and systems prices, impacting the 'Edge Computing' segment which includes gaming.
Chinese RAM is reportedly landing in laptops from HP, Asus and Acer but it won't change the memory crisis overnight
Chinese memory manufacturer CXMT is reportedly supplying chips to HP, Asus, and Acer for use in their laptops, primarily in non-US markets. While CXMT's market share is growing, the limited supply is intended to avoid disrupting relationships with major global memory chipmakers like Micron, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix. This development comes amidst a global memory crisis, with demand expected to outstrip supply for years to come.
Gigabyte is launching B550 AM4 motherboards and recommending four-year-old CPUs because the memory crisis is really that…
Gigabyte is launching new AM4 motherboards, specifically the B550 X Series, to accommodate older CPUs like the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D due to the ongoing memory crisis. This situation is driven by the high cost of DDR5 memory required for newer AM5 platforms, with DDR4 prices also increasing. The article suggests this indicates a significant hardware shortage impacting the PC building market.
AMD confirms 10% GPU price increase — 48 hours after launching a 4GB card
AMD has confirmed a 10% increase in GPU prices starting next month, citing the ongoing memory crisis fueled by AI demand. This announcement follows Nvidia's similar price hikes and comes shortly after AMD launched a new 4GB graphics card. The price increase is expected to narrow the value gap between AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti.
The memory crisis keeps getting worse: Nvidia graphics card prices now rumoured to increase by as much as 30%
Nvidia graphics card prices are reportedly set to increase by 20-30% due to an ongoing memory crisis, affecting both GDDR6 and GDDR7 components. This potential price hike has caused concern among distributors in China, with some high-end models like the RTX 5090 D and RTX 5080 seeing significant price jumps. The memory crisis is expected to continue until at least 2029, impacting the cost of building gaming PCs.
Sunday Tech Bits
Valve acknowledges that the ongoing memory crisis shows no signs of abating, with RAM prices expected to continue their upward trend. The company notes that the situation is 'still getting worse,' impacting the cost of PC components.
Valve says there's no end in sight to the memory crisis, and prices are only going to increase: 'Honestly,…
Valve acknowledges that the ongoing memory crisis, exacerbated by AI demand, is causing hardware prices to increase with no immediate end in sight. Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated that current retail prices lag behind bulk supply by three to six months, and the company sees prices rising in the short to medium term. The memory shortage also impacted the initial production of the Steam Machine, though Valve continues to support the device.
Chinese-made YMTC SSDs have been spotted in Lenovo's latest ThinkBook laptops, as the memory crisis continues to…
Chinese manufacturer YMTC's SSDs have been spotted in Lenovo's ThinkBook laptops, a development attributed to the ongoing memory and NAND shortage. While these SSDs may function as intended, their performance figures are reportedly below average for office laptops, suggesting manufacturers are opting for cheaper components to mitigate rising costs.
SK hynix to invest over $60 billion in chip plants in South Korea, but the memory crisis still seems a long way from…
SK hynix plans to invest over $65 billion in South Korea to build new chip plants, focusing on NAND flash memory and chip packaging. This significant investment comes amid a global memory crisis, with companies like Samsung and Micron also facing supply shortages. The article analyzes the long-term implications of these investments and the ongoing memory crisis, suggesting it may persist beyond 2028.
An SSD company has just agreed to an almost $2 billion multi-year NAND deal, which is a sign it expects the memory…
SSD manufacturer Biwin has entered into a two-year, $1.86 billion deal for NAND flash memory, securing supply through June 2026. This significant commitment, representing over half of Biwin's annual revenue, indicates the company's expectation that the ongoing memory crisis will persist. Major memory manufacturers like Micron, Samsung, and SK hynix are working to increase production, though they are cautious about over-ramping due to potential demand drops.
'The thing that gives me hope is there is an enormous amount of capacity being built' - AMD's head of Ryzen and Radeon is pinning hopes of an end to the memory crisis on a supply ramp into 2028
AMD's David McAfee expressed hope that the memory crisis, exacerbated by AI demand, could ease by 2028 as manufacturers ramp up DDR5 production. While acknowledging the significant capacity being built, McAfee noted that the unprecedented demand from AI and server refreshes makes it uncertain if supply will meet future needs. Other industry figures and companies like Samsung and SK hynix are also investing in new facilities, though they cautiously manage risks of oversupply.
'This is the first time where I'm seeing no light at the end of the tunnel': How the memory crisis is…
The PC gaming industry is facing a severe memory crisis, with RAM prices quadrupling due to high demand from AI development. Companies like PowerGPU and Maingear are struggling with increased costs and reduced sales, with some executives seeing no end in sight for the next two years. This crisis is impacting entry-level PC price points and forcing some builders to consider alternative solutions like console gaming.
Samsung is cashing in on the memory crisis, as it estimates profits of over 8 times this period last year
Samsung Electronics has released its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance, projecting consolidated sales of 133 trillion Korean won ($88.6 billion) and an operating profit of 57.2 trillion Korean won. This significant increase in profit, attributed to the ongoing memory crisis driven by AI demand, represents an over eight-fold increase compared to the first quarter of 2025. The company is also investing heavily in advanced manufacturing, including ordering EUV machines from ASML to boost production capacity for DRAM and HBM4.
Amazon US sold nearly half the number of CPUs it did this time last year
Amazon US CPU sales in February saw a significant decline compared to the previous year, with AMD dominating sales over Intel. This downturn is attributed in part to a widespread memory crisis, which has also impacted motherboard sales and overall PC building affordability. Analysts suggest that ongoing supply issues for memory and storage components will continue to affect the market.
The memory crisis certainly isn't ending soon, as Micron confirm 'demand significantly in excess of our available supply for the foreseeable future'
Micron Technology has reported record revenue and profits but is facing a significant memory supply shortage, with demand far exceeding available supply for the foreseeable future. CEO Sanjay Merhotra stated that AI growth is a major driver of this demand, and while the company plans to increase output, it will take years for supply to meet AI needs. Micron also aims to maintain a diversified market mix including PCs, smartphones, and automotive sectors.
MSI plan 15-30% price hikes for their hardware, report claims, as the memory crisis' consequences continue to rumble back to your wallet
MSI is reportedly planning price increases of 15-30% for its hardware due to the ongoing memory shortage and its impact on the PC market. The company anticipates a contraction in the PC market and plans to shift focus towards higher-end hardware, while also exploring support for DDR4 on DDR5 motherboards and investing in its AI server business.
MSI reportedly plans on tackling 'the most challenging year since the company was founded', with 15-30% price raises, making DDR5 motherboards DDR4 compatible, and increasing AI server revenue
MSI is reportedly planning significant price increases of 15-30% on its gaming products to navigate a challenging year marked by a memory crisis. The company aims to shift focus towards higher-end products and increase revenue from AI servers to offset these difficulties. This strategy mirrors that of Asus, which is also prioritizing high-end offerings.
Asus thinks 'high-end brand value and high-end product mix' will help it weather the memory crisis alongside…
Asus believes its focus on high-end products, strong brand value, and diversified manufacturing of graphics cards and motherboards will help it navigate the ongoing memory crisis. The company also plans to leverage the growth of Artificial Intelligence to maintain stable operations and outperform the industry in 2026.
