Micron and Samsung executives have indicated that the memory shortage is expected to continue for at least the next few years. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra told investors that demand for the company's memory products is projected to exceed available supply through at least 2028.
HardwareSanjay MehrotraMicronSamsung
Memory shortage expected to persist through 2028 as AI demand surges
While Micron no longer sells consumer RAM through its Crucial brand, Mehrotra’s comments specifically address business-to-business sales of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI applications and DRAM for servers. The prioritization of manufacturing capacity for AI and server memory is expected to limit the supply of memory manufactured for consumer devices, such as PCs, smartphones, and gaming consoles.
The transition in technology is also complicating supply growth. Mehrotra noted that as HBM evolves from 3E to a higher mix of 4 and 4E, the trade-off in production ratios creates headwinds. Furthermore, future node transitions are expected to yield less productivity gain per wafer.
Micron stated that a large portion of its 2027 HBM volume is already sold out, with prices significantly higher than those in 2026. The company's 2027 memory output is reportedly 75% already accounted for.
Samsung's Executive Vice President Kim Taewoo supported this outlook, noting that HBM is expected to account for nearly 30% of DRAM manufacturers' wafer capacity in 2027, up from 20% this year. This shift in capacity is anticipated to further limit the volume of DRAM available for consumer electronics.
Sources
- Memory executives expect RAM shortage to continue through 2028 （Hacker News Frontpage, 2026-10-02）