AI Memory Chip Shortage Escalates as Prices Soar 80% This Quarter

A global memory chip shortage is intensifying as AI data centers consume an outsized share of production capacity, driving DRAM prices up 80-90% this quarter and threatening to inflate costs across consumer electronics, industry leaders warned today.

High-bandwidth memory (HBM) has become the scarcest component in the AI supply chain, forcing manufacturers to prioritize data-center margins over consumer electronics volumes. The result: tighter DRAM availability, rising spot prices, and a creeping "AI tax" on everything from laptops and smartphones to automobiles.

"The chip crunch will continue through 2026 and 2027," Sassine Ghazi, CEO of Synopsys, told CNBC. Tech giants including Elon Musk and Tim Cook have publicly warned about the shortage derailing corporate plans and hammering profits.

Major PC makers Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer, and ASUS have confirmed 15-20% price hikes and contract resets as an industry-wide response. According to Counterpoint Research, demand for DRAM used in AI accelerators has caused prices to skyrocket, with some segments seeing increases approaching 90%.

Memory manufacturers Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have shifted production toward high-margin AI solutions, leaving consumer electronics facing shortages. "We're seeing a fundamental reallocation of manufacturing capacity away from traditional devices," explained IDC analysts in their market report.

The crisis highlights AI's massive infrastructure demands. As companies race to build larger language models and autonomous systems, the memory requirements continue exceeding supply, creating bottlenecks that could slow AI development itself.