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Memory Makers' AI Alibi Under Fire
15 Jul
Summary
- Memory makers allegedly inflated RAM prices citing AI demand.
- A new report questions capacity expansion promises by 2030.
- Lawsuit accuses top DRAM producers of price fixing.
- Consumers express cynicism over ongoing memory shortages.
The primary memory manufacturers, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, face allegations of price fixing, with a recent class-action lawsuit challenging their narrative. These companies, controlling 90% of the global DRAM market, have attributed soaring RAM prices to the immense demand for AI data centers and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). They contend this demand has naturally reduced consumer RAM supplies.
However, a Bank of America report, cited by a South Korean news outlet, has cast doubt on these claims. The report suggests that SK Hynix's projected increase in memory production capacity by 2030 is significantly overstated, with only a fraction expected to be online by 2028. This is attributed to the extensive time required for advanced infrastructure development and necessary upgrades to older manufacturing facilities.
This new evidence bolsters the lawsuit's core allegations, suggesting that memory makers may be intentionally limiting supply to maintain inflated prices. The CEO of SK Hynix recently predicted a prolonged memory shortage extending to 2030, a sentiment met with widespread consumer disbelief and cynicism, reminiscent of a previous price-fixing scandal in 2005. The current situation is increasingly viewed not as an unavoidable consequence of the AI boom, but as a deliberate, profitable strategy.
