Memory-chip price surge deepens industry divide as chipmakers profit while device costs rise

Rising memory-chip prices, driven by AI and data-centre demand, are benefiting manufacturers like Micron and Samsung, but pushing up costs for PC, smartphone, and server makers, potentially squeezing margins and delaying hardware upgrades.

Rising memory-chip prices are creating a sharp divide across the technology sector, with manufacturers such as Micron, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix benefiting from stronger pricing while device makers face heavier input costs, according to Investing.com and industry reports. The effect is most visible in PCs and notebooks, where DRAM remains a major component of bill-of-materials costs and recent price increases are feeding directly into margins.

Micron has said it expects higher memory prices to persist through 2025 and 2026, as artificial intelligence infrastructure, data-centre build-outs and consumer electronics demand continue to strain supply, Tom’s Hardware reported. The publication said the company is also expanding production of high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, which is increasingly used in AI systems. Separate reports this year have pointed to contract price rises of about 15% to 20% in NAND and DRAM in the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting tight supply and aggressive buying from cloud providers.

That backdrop is forcing PC and server makers to reassess pricing and demand assumptions. TechSpot reported that memory shortages could lift PC prices by as much as 8%, while IDC has warned of a deeper sales slowdown if DRAM constraints worsen. Dell, HP and other OEMs are already said to be preparing for higher component costs, and analysts have warned that enterprise buyers may delay hardware refresh cycles if memory inflation persists.

The pressure is not limited to personal computers. Apple can soften some of the impact through premium pricing, but the scale of iPhone production means memory remains a meaningful cost item. Alphabet has moved to consolidate memory orders for its cloud and Pixel businesses in an effort to strengthen its negotiating position, while still planning growth in handset shipments, according to the Korean report.

The market reaction has been uneven. Micron has surged as investors price in a more favourable memory cycle, while PC makers have come under pressure as the prospect of higher component costs raises concerns over future profitability. With AI demand still absorbing supply and major memory vendors signalling further price rises, the industry appears to be entering a period in which gains for chipmakers are likely to come at the expense of their customers.