RAM Crisis Deepens: 2027 Memory Capacity Reportedly Sold Out
Original: 2027 memory capacity is reportedly sold out
Why This Matters
AI-driven memory demand is structurally constraining consumer PC hardware supply and pricing through at least 2028.
According to a Digitimes report, all three major memory makers — Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — have sold through their entire 2027 DRAM and HBM manufacturing capacity to AI companies, with long-term 5-year purchasing agreements locking up future supply and driving retail RAM prices higher.
As of August 2026, a Digitimes report cited by TweakTown indicates that Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have collectively exhausted their 2027 DRAM and HBM manufacturing capacity, primarily through long-term purchasing agreements with AI companies. The manufacturers themselves have not officially confirmed this. Compounding the issue, much of the capacity has been secured via 5-year forward contracts, meaning supply is unlikely to free up in the near term. NAND flash storage is also seeing rising demand, though it has not yet reached the same level of scarcity due to a larger supplier base. As a concrete example, the Western Digital SN7100 1TB PCIe 4 SSD rose from approximately $110 in January 2026 to $189 — a 52% increase — by early August. The broader hardware market is feeling the strain: the Xbox Series X recently received a price increase, and Valve's Steam Machine launched above its intended price point due to elevated memory costs. The situation shows no clear signs of improvement heading into 2028.