The uncontrolled rise in memory prices for electronic devices, driven by the stockpiling carried out by companies working in artificial intelligence, is already having serious effects on the market.
The PC industry is being hit particularly hard—some are even calling this period the “memory apocalypse.” The latest victims appear to be motherboard sales, with some retailers reporting devastating year-over-year declines.
A Sharp Drop in Sales
According to the website HKEPC (thanks PC Gamer), several Chinese media outlets report that the main motherboard manufacturers—including MSI, Gigabyte, and Asus—have seen sales fall by up to 50% compared to November and December 2024.
The problem began with the increase in DRAM prices that started in October, discouraging many users who had planned to upgrade their PCs. Even those ready to spend money have delayed purchases to avoid excessive costs.
Naturally, this decline in motherboard sales also affects other PC components such as CPUs, GPUs, and expansion cards, all of which depend on the motherboard.
HKEPC notes that gamers are spending their money elsewhere: the sales of gaming peripherals (such as mice and controllers) and monitors are much less affected. Many online users have reportedly postponed or reduced their hardware upgrade plans due to soaring memory prices.
Many consumers are now waiting for prices to return to reasonable levels, though the risk remains high. Some reports suggest the crisis could last until 2028, as Samsung and SK Hynix have decided to “minimize the risk of oversupply.”
The Role of Artificial Intelligence
What does artificial intelligence have to do with all this? The servers running AI systems—like the ones that answer your everyday questions—require huge amounts of memory.
Since the AI sector is growing rapidly, large corporations have effectively swept the market clean, creating shortages and driving prices up for regular consumers.
