RAM and SSDs have become very expensive and prices continue to rise. The manager of a semiconductor manufacturer says it will take a few more years. Specifically, they mention the year 2030.
AI data centers are consuming the global supply of RAM and storage space. This especially affects gamers who want to upgrade their PCs or purchase new hardware.
Now, a former manager of a major corporation from South Korea, which includes one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world, has spoken out. He stated that it will take a few more years before the memory crisis is overcome.
By 2030, demand is expected to be met, then prices should fall again
Who is speaking? Chey Tae-won is the chairman of the SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in South Korea. The SK Group includes SK hynix, one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world. This means Tae-won has experience with these developments as a long-time manager of the group.
Tae-won told reporters at Nvidia’s GTC conference in San Jose that the global shortage of memory chips is expected to last for another four to five years, as wafer supply across the industry lags more than 20% behind demand. Wafers are needed to produce chips for graphics cards and memory. He stated (source: Koreatimes.co.kr):
The bottleneck is attributed to a lack of wafer capacity, and it takes at least four to five years to secure additional wafers. We expect the industry-wide supply gap to remain over 20 percent until 2030.
Moreover, obtaining the mentioned wafers would also take several years. Tae-won speaks of 4 to 5 years. These statements are also consistent with those from market researchers, who stated that prices would remain high until the end of 2027.
A similar trend is shown by other producers: leading manufacturers such as SK Hynix, Samsung, or Micron are increasing their production, but demand is not expected to be fully met until 2030:
- Samsung is investing money in its facility in Pyeongtaek, with production scheduled to start in 2028.
- Micron is building a new HBM facility in Hiroshima, with production also set to start in 2028 (source: TomsHardware.com).
Why are gamers so significantly affected? The large chip manufacturers have shifted their production to HBM chips for AI systems. This is where the big money is being made, not with memory chips used in graphics cards or gaming consoles. As a result, prices have rapidly increased and we are paying double or triple for a stick of RAM.
If you want to know how much you currently have to pay for RAM, take a look at our RAM price ticker on MeinMMO, which we update several times daily.
Cheap Chinese RAM was long considered a hidden gem. But now, even that small chance for affordable RAM is gone. Chinese companies are increasingly focusing on memory for data centers. You can read more about it on MeinMMO: Chinese RAM was seen as hope for many gamers, but the opportunity has already passed in just a few weeks
