AI Demand Drives RAM Price Surge, Shifts Supply to HBM
TL;DR. High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) demand for AI training is causing a significant price increase and supply crunch for consumer RAM. - Global RAM prices have sharply increased, with expectations for continued rises throughout the year. - HBM uses three times the silicon wafer supply compared to consumer DDR5 RAM, diverting manufacturing capacity. - Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, the three major RAM manufacturers, are prioritizing HBM production for AI datacenters.
- RAM prices have surged over the past 18 months due to increased demand for AI-specific memory.
- High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), critical for AI training, consumes significantly more manufacturing resources than consumer DRAM.
- Major memory manufacturers are shifting production capacity towards HBM to meet AI datacenter needs, limiting standard RAM availability.
Sources
- Why are RAM prices so high right now? — engadget.com