This article requires a Verge subscription, which I don't have, to read anything beyond what you see below.
What's here is enough to make the point: If you don't already have the RAM (and for that matter, the computing power) that you need for the next decade or more, now might be a good time to obtain it.
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/914672/the-ram-shortage-could-last-years
According to Nikkei Asia, even as suppliers ramp up DRAM production, manufacturers are only expected to meet 60 percent of demand by the end of 2027. SK Group chairman has even said that shortages could last until 2030.
The world’s largest memory makers — Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — are all working to add new fabrication capacity, but almost none of it will be online until at least 2027, if not 2028. SK opened a fab in Cheongju in February, but that is the only increase in production among the three for 2026.
Nikkei says that production would need to increase by 12 percent a year in 2026 and 2027 to meet demand. But according to Counterpoint Research, an increase of only 7.5 percent is planned.
The new facilities will primarily focus on producing high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is used in AI data centers. With the companies already prioritizing HBM over general-purpose DRAM used in computers and phones, it’s not clear how much these new fabs will help alleviate the price crunch facing consumer electronics. Everything from phones and laptops, to VR headsets and gaming handhelds have seen price increases due to the RAM shortage.
(More, maybe)
That assumes AI and Data centers keep ramping up the whole time. Any kind of downturn changes the entire landscape. Also, demand for the latest computers and cell phones will drop if prices keep rising. That's not to say the article is wrong, I've just read more than a few over the years that predicted some sort of disaster that never was as bad as predicted.
My prediction is that Linux is going to continue to take over Windoze bloatware and also revive some old hardware reducing demand for the latest hardware. I have an older laptop and an older PC that are going to get Linux installed sometime this year.
Remember when GPU prices shot up during the plandemic? They never came back down. I'm fearing the same happening to RAM in general. This is how they'll be pushing people into not owning their own hardware.
Big Tech attempt to return the world to the early 90s?
The main producer of Helium was in Iran.
It's looking to become a big issue, too.
Lol this is incredibly short sighted.
You know what happens historically in markets when there is a supply bottleneck?
Innovation.
Lots of money, time, and research is thrown at finding alternatives because whoever solves the problem becomes filthy rich.
These major paradigm shifts have occurred at least four times in the computer memory category since 1950 and it will happen again and again.
Necessity is the mother of invention
True!
Link to full article
Here's one on the topic you can read in its entirety without signing up for a subscription:
https://gizmodo.com/ram-shortage-expected-to-continue-into-next-year-or-later-2000748208
I can't open the Archive site; might be my VPN.