:

MEMORY CHIP PRICES SPIKE 600% AS AI DEMAND SURGES

AI DESK1 MIN READ
WED, MAY 13, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

Contract prices for NAND chips have jumped over 600% since late September 2025, while DRAM prices climbed roughly 400%, with further increases expected as artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout strains global supply.

The sharp price increases reflect intensifying competition for memory chips as tech companies race to build out AI capabilities. NAND flash memory, used for storage, has seen the most dramatic appreciation, while DRAM prices—which power processing—have also accelerated significantly. Analysts expect the upward pressure to continue. The shortage is already reshaping corporate performance, creating winners among chip suppliers and memory manufacturers while squeezing companies dependent on affordable components. The AI boom has triggered unprecedented demand for semiconductors across data centers and computing infrastructure. Memory chips, critical to both training and running large language models, remain particularly constrained. Supply chain disruptions and concentrated production capacity have exacerbated scarcity. Memory chip makers are racing to increase output, but manufacturing capacity takes months to scale. Until supply catches up with AI-driven demand, prices are likely to remain elevated, affecting everything from server costs to consumer device pricing.

■ SOURCES

Techmeme

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

■ MORE FROM THE HARDWARE DESK

Hisense has unveiled the A10, an E Ink phone with a detachable full-color LCD screen that magnetically attaches to the device's rear. The dual-display system offers flexibility between e-reader functionality and traditional smartphone use.

3H AGOIndustry Desk

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and ASML Holding NV report results this week amid a significant selloff in AI-inflated technology stocks. Their earnings will signal the health of the chipmaking supply chain at a critical moment for investor confidence.

3H AGOAI Desk

Space industry officials are raising concerns about limited availability of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, citing a critical need for additional crewed vehicle options in the United States.

8H AGOAI Desk

Japan has developed a recovery method that extracts up to 90% of lithium from spent electric vehicle batteries. The breakthrough addresses critical supply chain concerns for EV battery production.

8H AGOIndustry Desk

■ SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

ONE EMAIL, 5 STORIES, 06:00 UTC. UNSUBSCRIBE ANYTIME.