The New PC Crisis: AI Triggers RAM Shortage That Could Last Until 2027

2025 seemed to be ending on a high note for PC hardware, with solid advancements in CPUs and GPUs. However, a silent storm has arrived. The industry is now facing a “DRAM supercycle” triggered by the insatiable demand from Artificial Intelligence, sucking up the global memory supply and leaving consumers in the backseat.

Major PC manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, and ASUS are already reacting, and the forecast isn’t good: the RAM shortage could extend until late 2027.

Why Is AI to Blame?

The heart of the problem is technical and economic. Training advanced AI models (like GPT-5.2) requires ultra-high-speed memory known as HBM (High Bandwidth Memory).

Manufacturing 1 bit of HBM consumes about 3 times more wafer resources than 1 bit of standard DDR5 memory. Since HBM is far more profitable, giants like Samsung and SK Hynix have converted entire production lines to serve AI data centers, sacrificing consumer memory production. It is estimated that by 2026, AI alone will consume 20% of the world’s total DRAM production.

The Impact on Your Wallet

The shortage is already aggressively driving up prices. Dell, for example, has announced hikes that could reach $765 for systems with 128GB of RAM. Even gaming laptops with the new NVIDIA RTX 50 Series GPUs are seeing price adjustments just due to the cost of embedded memory.

Manufacturers are being forced into three difficult paths:

1. Increase prices drastically.
2. Reduce specifications (reverting to selling laptops with 8GB as standard, a regression).
3. Delay launches of premium products.

What to Do Now?

If you planned to build a PC or upgrade, the advice from experts like Wallace Santos (CEO of MAINGEAR) is clear: don’t wait. The trend is set to worsen in 2026.

However, avoid panic (FOMO). If you already have 16GB or 32GB of RAM, hold onto your current system. If you urgently need a new machine, pre-built PCs might ironically be the cheaper option right now, as their prices still reflect older stock contracts. The used market also becomes a viable alternative for finding DDR4 and DDR5 at fair prices.

Source: Wccftech / Market Analysis by Muhammad Zuhair.