Micron And G.Skill Share Depressing Update On PC Memory Crisis
Just in case anyone needs to hear it again (as if!), we're in the midst of a memory crisis that has seen the cost of DRAM catapult to unsettling levels. And lest there be any doubt as to what/who the culprit is, G.Skill issued a statement pinning the blame squarely on "unprecedented high demand from the AI industry," which is a sentiment also echoed by Micron in its latest earnings report.
How we got here is no mystery, but the fact that major players in the PC space are issuing statements underscores just how dire the situation is at the moment. Here's what G.Skill had to say on the matter...
DRAM prices are experiencing significant industry-wide volatility, due to severe global supply constraints and shortages, driven by unprecedented high demand from the AI industry.
As a result, G.SKILL procurement and sourcing costs have substantially increased. G.Skill pricing reflect industry-wide component cost increases from IC suppliers and is subject to change without notice based on market conditions.
Purchasers should be mindful of the pricing before purchasing. Thank you. - G.Skill
Historically, G.Skill has refrained from attaching MSRPs to its memory kits. When I asked the company why several years back, I was told it was because the memory market fluctuates. What's happening now, however, goes far beyond typical and sometimes even atypical fluctuations that we've observed in the past.
For example, take this 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400 memory kit on Amazon that's priced at $388.99. This same 6,400 MT/s kit, which hits the sweet spot for speed for a Ryzen 9000 build, had routinely been selling for around $109.99. That price is over 250% higher from the product's all-time low, and it's one of the least expensive 32GB DDR5-6400 kits available currently.
It's not just G.Skill, but DRAM from all manufacturers. In case you missed it, Micron recently announced it was pulling its Crucial brand from the consumer market after 29 years to focus its efforts on data center customers. While frustrating for consumers, Micron's latest earnings release adds context to its decision. For its first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended November 27, 2025, Micron generated a record $13.64 billion in revenue, representing a massive 56.7% gain from the same quarter a year ago. And looking ahead, Micron anticipates the money train to keep steamrolling, now that it's positioned itself as an "essential AI enabler."
HotHardware's Dave Altavilla also lead a TechStack podcast to discuss the ongoing crisis as well...
HotHardware's Dave Altavilla also lead a TechStack podcast to discuss the ongoing crisis as well...
Deciding to yank Crucial from the consumer market segment is not the reason why, but it is the result. During an earnings call, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra left little doubt that this how things are now and for the foreseeable future.
"Sustained and strong industry demand, along with supply constraints, are contributing to tight market conditions, and we expect these conditions to persist beyond calendar 2026," Mehrotra said.
If you're looking for a silver lining, at least he used beyond "2026" as a reference point rather than, say, 2030. Notably, a recent outlook shared by SK hynix suggest that meaningful relief may not arrive until after 2028. Perhaps the market will stabilize in a couple of years, as opposed to several years. That may not come as much consolation, but hey, it could be worse, right? Right!?
