The semiconductor industry is facing a severe supply crunch for high-bandwidth memory, known as HBM. Essa shortages, driven by the accelerated expansion of artificial intelligence, have caused significant increases in the prices of essential components for personal computers.
Global manufacturers prioritize HBM production to meet demands for AI servers and GPUs. Isso reduces the availability of conventional DRAM and NAND for the consumer market, increasing costs throughout the chain.
The phenomenon directly affects DDR5 RAM modules and high-capacity NVMe SSDs. Alguns products already have higher weight values than gold, reflecting the seriousness of the situation in 2026.
Industry analysts point out that the combination of limited capacity and priority contracts with hyperscalers exacerbates the imbalance. Empresas like Nvidia, AMD and Google absorb large volumes of HBM for their advanced processors.
- Main factors of the crisis:
- Wafer reallocation for HBM, more profitable than standard DRAM.
- Slow construction of new factories, with delays until 2027 or 2028.
- Inventory build-up by large cloud customers.
- Voluntary reduction in the production of commodity memories by Samsung and SK Hynix.
Main causes of global shortages
The demand for artificial intelligence has exploded in recent years, requiring memories capable of supporting large volumes of data in real time. GPUs and AI accelerators rely exclusively on HBM to achieve maximum performance, which has put pressure on production lines.
Manufacturers such as SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron have redirected significant resources to this segment. Essa change has left supply of DRAM and NAND for PCs and laptops at critical levels, with global inventories down to a few weeks.
Impact on DRAM prices
DRAM contracts registered an increase of more than 170% compared to the previous year in the third quarter of 2025. Essa increase even surpassed the growth in the price of gold in the same period, highlighting the intensity of the crisis.
Retail prices for DDR5 modules have already doubled in many markets since mid-2025.
Consumers face limited options in high-capacity configurations. Montadoras of PCs report difficulties maintaining regular RAM stocks above 32 GB.
The server segment absorbs most of the available production. Clientes businesses accept higher margins, encouraging manufacturers to focus on AI applications.
Direct comparison with gold
Some high-capacity NVMe SSDs have achieved higher per-gram values than the precious metal. A 4TB drive can cost the equivalent of more than US$1,500, while the same amount of gold is worth less under current market conditions.
This situation reverses historical patterns of affordable storage prices. Anteriormente, Large-volume SSDs were available for fractions of that price, making upgrades to personal computers easier.
The shortage of NAND chips, combined with HBM prioritization, explains this distortion. Reduções in production of up to 70% by large suppliers contributed to the current scenario.
Experts note that the percentage increase in memory contracts outpaced changes in gold. Isso reinforces the exceptional nature of the crisis driven by AI technology.
Role of major manufacturers
SK
Samsung and Micron follow a similar strategy, focusing on high-margin memories. Micron announced partial discontinuation of lines for consumers, reserving production for servers and AI.
These strategic decisions guarantee record profitability for companies. However, they prolong shortages in the general-purpose components market.
Building additional factories takes considerable time. Produção in scale should only normalize after 2028 in some cases.
Effects on the PC and laptop market
Automakers such as Dell and Lenovo have already announced adjustments to their product lines. Memory now represents up to 20% of the total hardware cost in notebooks, compared to lower percentages in early 2025.
Gamers and professionals who rely on robust configurations face higher barriers to upgrades. Módulos of 64 GB or more become rare items in common retail.
- Alternatives adopted by the market:
- Extended use of DDR4 in input systems.
- Purchase limits imposed by regional distributors.
- Delays in launches of new high-capacity models.
- Search for remaining stocks from previous generations.
Projections for the coming months
Analysts predict continued pressure on supplies throughout 2026. Demand for AI continues to grow faster than industrial expansion capacity.
New facilities at Estados Unidos and Ásia are expected to come into operation gradually. Elas promise partial relief only at the end of the current decade.
The balance between HBM production and conventional memories remains challenging. Fabricantes hesitate to invest massively due to the risk of overproduction if the pace of AI slows down.
Consumers can expect gradual price stabilization. However, pre-crisis levels are unlikely to return in the short term.
The current crisis redefines the electronic components market. Ela highlights the increasing dependence of artificial intelligence technology on finite manufacturing resources.
