All articles tagged with #dram shortage
Facing a DRAM shortage, Microsoft scrubbed its prior guidance that Windows 11 requires 32GB of RAM and is now emphasizing RAM optimization. While Windows 11 benefits from more memory, 8GB is becoming the baseline for many devices (such as the Surface Pro), and Microsoft has promised future improvements to memory efficiency as caching and usage drive RAM needs higher even on otherwise idle systems.
Amid a worsening global DRAM shortage, Nvidia has relaunched the RTX 3060 12 GB at roughly $329 to meet mainstream demand, a five-year-old card that still trails newer Blackwell GPUs and the RTX 5060 8 GB in most scenarios. The move underscores ongoing memory-cost pressures that are lifting GPU prices and signaling a stressed PC gaming market rather than a rapid hardware renaissance.
Micron Technology rose in premarket trading after Bernstein boosted its price target to 1,300 from 510 and kept a Buy rating, arguing that a tighter DRAM shortage and AI-server demand for high-bandwidth memory could support higher memory pricing ahead of Micron's fiscal Q3 results on June 24.
Apple is weighing removing the entry-level 256GB MacBook Neo to counter rising chip and DRAM costs, which would lift the Neo’s effective starting price by about $100 without changing any configuration prices; the move follows similar price/option shifts on other Macs as Apple ramps up production and navigates tighter supply for A18 Pro chips from TSMC.
Framework adds a new RTX 5070 12GB upgrade module for the Laptop 16, priced at $1,199—a steep jump for more VRAM, with the higher cost likely tied to low production volume and ongoing DRAM shortages.
Valve confirmed a staggered Steam hardware rollout due to a DRAM shortage: the Steam Controller is launching first (noted by Valve as having no RAM), while the Steam Machine and Steam Frame are being delayed. RAM supply, especially on-package and mobile RAM, is the main bottleneck, and insiders suggest the Frame could still launch before the Machine depending on RAM prices remaining high.
Apple has removed the 512GB RAM option for the Mac Studio, leaving max RAM at 256GB (up from the 36GB base) and raising the 256GB upgrade to $2,000; 512GB RAM is no longer offered and 256GB configurations are shipping with May wait times due to DRAM shortages and growing demand for on‑device AI. Rumors suggest M5 Max/Ultra Mac Studio models could arrive later in 2026 as memory supply remains tight.
MediaTek, whose smartphone chipsets accounted for about 53% of Q3 2025 revenue, faces a potential hit from a global memory shortage as DRAM and NAND prices surge, threatening SoC shipments even with the Dimensity 9600 on the horizon; competition from Qualcomm and Apple, plus MediaTek’s reliance on ARM-based designs, could pressure pricing and shipments through 2026 if memory constraints persist.
An industry insider claims NVIDIA will prioritize RTX 5060 production (and the 5060 Ti 8 GB) over the rest of the 50‑series, potentially making higher‑end GPUs scarcer and pricier amid DRAM/GDDR7 shortages and broader supply‑chain pressures impacting devices from laptops to consoles.
The ongoing DRAM shortage is expected to cause delays in product launches for major brands like HP and Lenovo, with potential price hikes and downsizing in the premium laptop segment, just ahead of CES 2026.
Apple faces a 230% increase in the cost of 12GB LPDDR5X RAM chips due to a global DRAM shortage, which could impact future iPhone pricing and supply chain strategies. The company has secured large shipments beforehand and is exploring countermeasures, but the shortage is expected to persist until late 2027.
G.Skill announced a sharp increase in memory prices due to global supply constraints and high demand from the AI industry, reflecting widespread industry volatility and rising component costs, which are expected to impact consumer prices and market dynamics.