Memory prices have begun shifting on an hourly basis as the AI-driven shortage intensifies, according to a DigiTimes report published today, with semiconductor industry insiders warning that smaller firms unable to place immediate orders with upfront payment risk sharply higher quotes within minutes. The report describes a market now split between roughly 100 top-tier buyers with the leverage to secure supply and more than 190,000 small and mid-size enterprises fighting over what remains.
The report says that cloud service providers, leading automakers, and smartphone giants Apple and Samsung hold enough financial clout to resist price hikes and maintain priority allocation from memory manufacturers. Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron cannot afford to jeopardize those relationships, so these large customers get served first, while also increasingly requiring prepayment or cash transactions before confirming orders — terms That minor companies with limited negotiating leverage will find difficult.
As reported by DigiTimes, these firms started finding it difficult to manage escalating memory expenses during the latter part of 2025. As prices continued climbing into 2026, some have started revising demand forecasts downward in what amounts to a "cut losses to survive" strategy. That approach is expected to spread as high prices persist, directly reducing overall market demand for memory.
In the preceding month, TrendForce updated its Q1 2026 DRAM contract price outlook to a 90-95% quarter-over-quarter jump, with NAND flash rising 55-60% in that same interval. A separate DigiTimes report published today indicates that DRAM prices could surge a further 70% in Q2 2026, while research firm IDC has warned the shortage could persist well into 2027.
HP disclosed last month that DRAM now accounts for 35% of its PC build cost, up from between 15% and 18% a quarter earlier. At the same time, Gartner forecasts that PC shipments will decrease more than 10% in 2026, and smartphone deliveries will fall by about 8%, both due to memory expenses. IDC expects white-box and lower-tier vendors, including DIY system builders, to bear the heaviest burden.
All this raises a question about what happens next if enough SMEs exit the market because they can’t afford the premiums. Should minor purchasers jointly withdraw, limited volume might quickly turn into a surplus, possibly revealing the deficit as “illusory,” says DigiTimes.
Follow 3DTested on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to obtain our newest reports, breakdowns, & appraisals via your feeds.
