The situation with memory RAM is pushing the market into a state of collective panic. So much so that companies like MSI, Asus and other major hardware manufacturers are investing in consumer market stock.
For the past few weeks, the global RAM market has been completely crazy. Just a few days ago we saw memory prices shoot up by nearly 200% in some models.
This, logically, has led the top PC brands to buy chips and memory modules out of fear of a DRAM and NAND chip shortage. According to DigiTimes, several companies are scrambling to accumulate stock for their data centres, even as the consumer market is left with almost no options.
Indeed, companies such as Asus, MSI and other big hardware manufacturers appear to be turning to the consumer market itself to acquire this component. This move is totally unusual, because when they have contracts with manufacturers the memory price is considerably cheaper than on the open market.
Impacts on Consumers and Launches
The problem here is not just that these firms are going for the consumer market, reducing options for users who are currently looking for RAM modules. Rather, it’s a clear sign of what’s coming: a market with almost no stock and with prices even more inflated than those we see today, something practically unsustainable for the consumer.
In fact, supply is so thin that even the main memory-module manufacturers have delayed the launch of their new products. Several that had been scheduled for late 2025 are now postponed to some indefinite moment in 2026.
On the flip side, companies working with HBM and RDIMM modules report record profits while investing billions of dollars in hardware. Even so, they know the situation is inflated by the AI-trend, and they’ve already confirmed they do not intend to increase RAM production.
