Overview
- Industry reports say manufacturers will cover only about 60% of global DRAM needs through 2027, and one top SK Group executive warns constraints could reach 2030.
- Counterpoint Research estimates output must rise about 12% a year to catch up, yet planned growth is closer to 7.5%.
- Most new plants target high-bandwidth memory used in AI servers, with major additions at Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron largely not due to ramp until 2027 or 2028.
- SK Hynix opened a new fab in Cheongju in February 2026, which analysts note is the only meaningful production increase this year among the big three memory makers.
- AI operators are pre-booking large blocks of supply, pushing up prices and leaving fewer chips for phones, laptops, VR headsets, and gaming devices.