The RAM shortage could last years
According to Nikkei Asiaeven if suppliers increase their DRAM production, manufacturers are only expected to meet 60% of demand by the end of 2027. The chairman of SK Group even said that shortages could last until 2030.
The world’s biggest memory makers — Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron — are all working to add new manufacturing capacity, but almost none of them will come online until at least 2027, if not 2028. SK opened a factory in Cheongju in February, but that’s the only production increase among the three for 2026.
Nikkei says production is expected to increase by 12 percent annually in 2026 and 2027 to meet demand. But according to Search for counterpointan increase of only 7.5 percent is planned.
The new facilities will primarily focus on the production of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), used in AI data centers. While companies are already prioritizing HBM over general-purpose DRAM used in computers and phones, it’s unclear how much these new factories will help alleviate the pricing crisis facing consumer electronics. Everything from phones and laptops to VR headsets and gaming handhelds have seen their prices rise due to the RAM shortage.
