- AI-based memory manufacturing limits the availability of consumer hardware
- DRAM costs are rising faster than most manufacturers expect
- Dell and Lenovo announce double-digit price increases for enterprise servers
Server and PC manufacturers are facing sharp increases in component costs, largely due to memory shortages.
Analysts warn that DRAM and HBM production is increasingly focused on AI servers, reducing the availability of mainstream consumer hardware.
TrendForce estimates that DRAM prices could rise by 8% to 13%, while Counterpoint expects an even bigger increase.
Industry reactions and price adjustments
This shift in manufacturing priorities has caused companies to rethink their product lines, and some brands have abandoned customer focus to meet corporate demand.
Major OEMs, including Dell, Lenovo, HP and HPE, are planning big price increases for servers, which are expected to be around 15%, while PC prices are expected to rise by around 5%.
Dell’s chief operating officer called the shortages “unprecedented” and noted that supply is struggling to keep up with growing demand.
Memory components, NAND, hard drives and advanced semiconductor nodes are all under pressure.
Retail sources indicate that long delivery times are now common for all brands except Apple Mac and Microsoft Surface products, which appear to be less affected.
Memory manufacturers are increasingly turning to AI-based manufacturing, which negatively affects the availability and cost of hardware components in general.
Micron recently announced that it would be discontinuing the Crucial brand in an effort to prioritize larger AI server customers.
Samsung has reportedly increased memory prices by as much as 60% as factories shift capacity to AI-powered workloads.
This increased demand has created volatility in the memory market and forced manufacturers to adjust their pricing and supply strategies.
Supply chain sources say nearly all major manufacturers are planning double-digit price increases for servers and modest increases for PCs.
Lenovo’s COO warned that the pressure on memory and SSD costs is “more dramatic than normal” and will be difficult to manage.
HP described rising storage costs as a “temporary headwind” that primarily affects computers, not peripherals.
Despite these adjustments, IDC analysts note that the current market movement is unusually large compared to past swings.
This trend shows the growing influence of AI on hardware markets, with demand for servers, CPUs and GPUs causing memory shortages.
As manufacturers try to limit the impact, the pace of these price changes suggests that business and consumer hardware budgets will be under continued pressure.
IN the record