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The RAM shortage that pushed DDR5 prices up all year now has an official timeline from the two biggest memory makers. In their third-quarter 2026 earnings, released on October 28 and 29, Samsung said tight memory supply should continue through 2028, and SK hynix said demand will keep exceeding supply through 2030. Both companies point to the same cause: AI data centers are buying memory faster than new factories can be built.
What did Samsung and SK hynix actually say about the RAM shortage?
SK hynix: shortage through 2030, DRAM effectively sold out to 2029
In its official 3Q26 results release, SK hynix said that, given the difficulty of leading-edge processes and the long lead time to build new fabs, it expects demand to exceed supply through 2030. It has signed long-term agreements with 14 major customers, including large cloud providers, covering more than 50% of its 2027 and 2028 production capacity. On its earnings call, as reported by TrendForce and MoneyToday, the company said its DRAM and HBM volumes through 2029 are effectively sold out when signed contracts and deals under negotiation are combined.
SK hynix also reported that its average DRAM selling price rose by a high-20% rate from the previous quarter, and NAND (the flash used in SSDs) by a mid-20% rate, according to the earnings call transcript.
Samsung: 2027 HBM sold out, tight supply into 2028
Samsung's Q3 2026 results say strong server demand led to higher market prices across all applications, and that in 2027 AI-driven demand will far exceed industry supply. On the call, reported by MoneyToday and in the Investing.com transcript, Samsung said its 2027 HBM supply is already sold out and that tight supply conditions are expected to continue into 2028, because higher spending on new capacity will not quickly turn into more chips.
Why does AI memory hurt DDR5 and SSD supply for PCs?
HBM, the stacked memory used on AI accelerators, is built on the same DRAM production lines as the DDR5 in desktop PCs. Samsung explained that next-generation HBM4E and HBM5 use larger chip areas, so every increase in HBM output leaves less room for general-purpose DRAM. SK hynix said it is prioritizing server DDR5, HBM4 and high-capacity enterprise SSDs, which are the products with the highest margins right now.
The effect is already visible outside servers. Samsung's own phone division reported a loss partly blamed on memory costs, and The Asia Business Daily, citing TrendForce, reported that contract prices for LPDDR5X mobile memory jumped 78 to 83% in the second quarter. SK hynix also said on its call that it expects PC and mobile shipments to decrease because of memory cost burdens and shortages.
Will RAM prices go down in 2027?
Neither company gave a price forecast for consumer RAM, and we will not guess one. What they did say points one way: supply stays tight through at least 2028 according to Samsung, and through 2030 according to SK hynix. Both plan large investments in new fabs, but both also warned that new capacity takes years to translate into more chips. In other words, nothing in these results suggests a quick drop in DDR5 or SSD prices. For background on how we got here, see our earlier article, RAM Prices Too High? What Musk Said About Memory Makers.
Should you buy a gaming PC now or wait?
If you need a PC or upgrade in the next few months, waiting for RAM prices to fall is a risky bet based on what the memory makers themselves are saying. A few practical tips:
- Buy the memory you actually need. For most gaming builds, 32 GB of DDR5 is the sweet spot; going beyond that mostly helps content creation and local AI.
- Consider a complete system. A ready-to-play gaming PC already includes RAM and storage, so you are not hunting for individual kits in a tight market.
- Look at refurbished. Refurbished PCs can be a smart way to get a capable machine while new memory stays expensive.
- Upgrade the GPU first if your RAM is fine. If you already have 16 to 32 GB, a new graphics card will usually do more for gaming performance than more memory.
FAQ
How long will the RAM shortage last?
Samsung expects tight memory supply to continue into 2028. SK hynix expects demand to exceed supply through 2030.
Why is there a RAM shortage?
AI data centers are buying huge amounts of HBM and server memory, which uses the same DRAM production capacity as PC memory, and new fabs take years to build.
Are SSD prices affected too?
Yes. SK hynix reported a mid-20% quarterly rise in its average NAND selling price, and both companies are prioritizing enterprise SSDs for data centers.
Is it better to buy RAM now or wait?
Neither company predicted lower prices soon. If you need RAM or a new PC now, buying what you need today is more realistic than waiting for a drop that the manufacturers are not forecasting.
Sources: SK hynix Newsroom, Samsung Global Newsroom, TrendForce, MoneyToday, The Asia Business Daily. Both companies made these statements themselves in their official earnings releases and calls.
