SK Hynix has reportedly forecast consumer memory shortages through 2028

Gamers and PC enthusiasts may face prolonged, inflated component prices, as SK Hynix has reportedly forecast that the shortage of DRAM could last until 2028. This may not only impact current-generation products like DDR5 and GDDR7, but also previous-gen DDR4 memory, GDDR6 and even LPDDR, which is typically used in mobile devices. 

The report comes from BullsLab Jay, who also stated that the current inventory drying up will not be met with the traditional response of ramping up production capacity for consumer-grade goods, signaling a potential long-term price hike for consoles, graphics cards, and system memory.

The driving force behind these supply issues is the strategic shift toward AI infrastructure. SK Hynix noted that its most cutting-edge memory technologies, specifically HBM and SOCAMM, will be exempt from these shortages, as the company plans to funnel its manufacturing resources and capacity expansions almost exclusively into these types of memory to satisfy the needs of the AI server market. While SK Hynix is aggressively installing new equipment, it's entirely dedicated to advanced storage solutions and HBM for data centres rather than the commodity DRAM used in consumer electronics.

This divergence in strategy highlights a growing rift in the semiconductor industry, where consumer needs are taking a backseat to enterprise AI requirements. Unless manufacturers increase production of memory for consumer electronics, buyers should prepare to pay more for most memory-dependent devices.

KitGuru says: If you are planning to buy something with DRAM but haven't done so yet, consider doing it ASAP. It seems things won't improve anytime soon.

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