Latest tech news and developments regarding the RAM crisis

The 2020s have been a tough decade for gaming hardware so far. Manufacturers have had little time to recover from the various COVID-related supply chain issues that have hampered the launch of consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series

If you've actually been trying to build a PC over the past few months, we probably don't need to tell you that certain components can be hard to come by. In particular, the prices of DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, as well as hard and solid-state drives, have soared. Disappointingly, this rapid rise is almost entirely the result of aggressive global investment in artificial intelligence. Last year alone, AI companies accounted for 61% of global venture capital investment, reaching a total of $258.7. 1 billion. I wish I had better news, but I don't. RAM and SSD prices will get worse before they get better.

Don't expect your RAM shortage to stop anytime soon

AI data centers continue to put a chokehold on global RAM supply.

You've probably heard about the significant impact of AI before. For example, many people like to point out the huge amount of water that AI data centers consume. But it also requires a lot of hard material, including regular system RAM and high-bandwidth memory, which is the most frequently used type of RAM in VRAM. Again, generative AI is not a cottage industry, so the pressure it places on this market is very high. I'd love to say it's unmeasurable, but that's not true. Analysts reported that ChatGPT platform holder OpenAI has reserved up to 40% of global RAM by 2025.

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This will result in a 200% to 400% increase in RAM prices globally and an extreme increase in demand for the raw materials used to construct RAM sticks, further exacerbating shortages. Part of this is that there are fewer and fewer components available for NAND storage, the type of storage used in hard drives and SSDs. This will likely have a knock-on effect on other PC components as well. CPU prices are also expected to rise at an abnormally fast rate.

There are few signs that this trend is slowing. Several financial reports have actually suggested that it will accelerate. Take a look at notable 2024 analysis from renowned management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The analysis predicts that demand for data centers will increase by up to 27% by 2030, requiring nearly five times the power they use today. To achieve this growth, the sector will require unprecedented amounts of materials. To get to the point, Samsung and SK Hynix, which together supply about 90% of the world's dynamic RAM as of April 2026, have publicly warned that they will likely not be able to meet supply demands by 2027.

Geopolitical factors have made manufacturing and shipping components more complex.

While the impact on RAM costs may not be as significant as the AI ​​industry, President Trump's tariffs and escalating global tensions have certainly exacerbated the skyrocketing costs of RAM. In addition to tariffs and war-related supply chain issues, many technology companies have reportedly scaled back certain global trade operations. For example, throughout 2025, as Trump enthusiastically announced a number of tough tariffs and aggressive trade strategies, Samsung and SK Hynix both halted shipments of aging semiconductor production machinery to China, where significant quantities of electronics are manufactured. Typically, these machines play a key role in global technological manufacturing. Now they sit unused in warehouses.

What gaming hardware will be affected by persistent RAM shortages and for how long?

Steam recently reported that its new Steam Controller has not been affected by a parts shortage, which is good news that probably won't apply to most gaming hardware. For now, it's safe to assume that basically any technology that uses RAM or storage will become more expensive over the next few years, and in fact, prices may continue to rise. It may seem like you're deep into this now, but you're probably just getting started. AI companies like OpenAI are currently in the research and development phase. Energy and hardware demand will only increase as AI adoption becomes more widespread.

Upcoming gaming hardware likely to be affected by RAM and SSD crisis

• playstation 6

• Project Helix (Next Xbox)

• steam machine

• steam deck 2

• steam frame

• All GPU and SSD wafers

• All pre-built PCs

• All new laptops, desktops and mobile devices

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But this may not last forever. Overall, the AI ​​industry remains unprofitable and the general overvaluation of the technology has weakened. This is especially true as explicit and applicable AI developments become less frequent and dramatic. If investors remain bearish on the fast-growing industry, AI companies may pull back on data center construction, relieving some of the pressure on the aforementioned data. Or, the industry could experience a bubble, which could completely reshape the AI ​​conversation as massive capital investments fail to yield meaningful returns. Technological innovations may also lead to alternatives that increase efficiency or reduce the strain on resources. And while politics, especially in the West, have been surprisingly pro-AI in recent years, this could change dramatically in the future. The political upheaval in the United States alone is enough to make such changes feel more real than they did a year ago.

But even in the best-case scenario, these RAM issues won't be fixed overnight. There will be periods of downsizing, which may further complicate or create waiting times between high-level changes and actual consumer prices due to time shifts, resource reallocations and power gaps in supply chain structures. More importantly, solutions to AI data center problems will not appear out of nowhere. Lawmakers, local leaders, and all citizens of a democratic society will need to push for meaningful AI regulation if they wish to do so. Likewise, if we want to stop AI from colonizing the world of technology, consumers must vote with their wallets.