As AI Devours Memory Chips, the Companies That Make Them Hold the Pricing Power
Key PointsMicron, Sandisk, and SK Hynix are capturing huge margins from a genuine memory shortage.
In October, PC shipments dropped over 20% as laptop and desktop manufacturers faced price hikes from memory supplies, prompting a memory shortage. Memory kits that cost $191 a year ago now run $1,118, a 485% increase. PC makers are getting priced out of the same memory that data centers are hoarding. The three companies controlling over 95% of global DRAM production, Micron Technology, SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics, have redirected wafer capacity away from regular memory chips towards high-bandwidth memory (HBM) demanded by AI data centers.
This has led to memory prices jumping 90-95% in Q1 2026. SK Hynix warns customers to brace for further monthly increases heading into year-end. Companies are prioritizing AI memory chips over everyday ones due to the lucrative nature of the AI market. This shortage creates a scenario where the AI companies controlling scarce memory supply get to set prices, amplifying the cost of real tech products.
Nvidia, benefiting from AI demand, also needs affordable HBM for its chip production, making it both a beneficiary and a risk in the memory shortage. Apple projects DRAM costs for its next iPhone to triple, potentially increasing memory costs from 10% to over 45% of an iPhone's component. This shortage highlights the immediate impact on investors, with new chip fab capacity expected not until late 2027, indicating a story about cost absorption and profit generation by companies amid the memory shortage.
Written by urgent.news from Motley Fool's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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