• hemmes@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    You may hate AI, but it’s not the reason we are seeing RAM costs skyrocket.

    Looking at the manufacturing data and the historical strong-arm tactics used by Samsung, Micron, and SK hynix, who collectively control about 96% of the global DRAM market, AI just gives manufacturers the perfect public justification to stop chasing cheap bit growth, starve low-margin consumer channels (our RAM products), reprioritize wafers toward premium products (data center RAM), and force customers into multi-year contracts at shortage-era prices.

    Sure it lets them make more money off us, but they really love locking in these rates with their data center-based customers.

      • SunshineJogger@feddit.org
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        5 days ago

        Rather they grabbed a fancy reason to increase prices because of greed.

        The few big ram production companies likely had a chat and decided: “Hey, more money? Yea! More money! We like more money!”

      • hemmes@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        No, it’s actually not because of the AI demand. AI is a demand metric but not enough to cause the hikes we’re seeing and (as the manufacturers want us to) even preparing for.