The RAM shortage driving up tech prices won’t end any time soon, Micron says

The AI arms race is driving up component costs for tech devices, and one major memory manufacturer believes it won't end this year.

That manufacturer would be Micron, a major player in the semiconductor space and the only American-based producer of computer memory components. In an interview with Wccftech, a Micron VP of marketing named Christopher Moore delved into the ongoing RAM shortage that has caused companies like Framework to increase device prices and PlayStation to potentially push its next gaming console into the a delayed launch.

You can read the full interview for all the nitty-gritty technical and business details behind Micron's process if you'd like, but the main thing to know is that existing production lines are all being used for AI data center components because that's where the money is, and it will take at least a year or two for new facilities Micron is building to reach full output. Hopefully, from there, the memory shortage can end and regular customers can start getting components at somewhat reasonable prices again.

"In order to dramatically increase the number of bits we need more clean room space. And that takes a lot of time. So we broke ground in Idaho in our ID1 facility three years ago. And that's gonna come online in mid-2027," Moore said. "But you're not really gonna see real output, meaningful output by the time we get all the qualification done and customers are accepting it and you get the tools, everything up and running until 2028."

So, in other words, this shortage could last in 2028 as far as Micron is concerned. Moore also left open the possibility that the AI demand could fade at some point, but if it doesn't, you might want to wait until a couple of years from now to build that beastly gaming PC you've been yearning for.