AI demand drives memory chip shortage

3 min read

Global memory prices have risen sharply as chipmakers shift production toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to meet demand from artificial intelligence, a move that has squeezed supply of standard RAM used in laptops and smartphones. Shops in Hong Kong report big price jumps and weaker sales, with a 16GB RAM module rising from about HK$300-400 to HK$1,500. Analysts say PC and smartphone memory costs are roughly five to six times higher than a year ago. Industry leaders Samsung, SK hynix and Micron have seen large profits, while newcomer CXMT has recently gained market attention in China.

Shift to HBM is causing sharp RAM price increases