Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the two South Korean memory giants, are preparing for a pivotal 2026. According to industry reports, both companies plan to raise their DRAM production growth targets for 2026, in an effort to respond to the memory chip shortage impacting the PC and server markets.
The approach isn’t identical but complementary:
- Samsung mainly aims to strengthen “conventional” DRAM — DDR5 for PCs and servers, LPDDR5X for mobile and next-gen laptops, and GDDR7 for high-performance GPUs.
- SK Hynix will maintain focus on HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), essential for artificial intelligence, but is also considering increasing supply of DDR5 and other standard memories to ease market pressure.
All of this occurs in a context where PC manufacturers are already working with scenarios of price increases of up to 20% for 2026 models, driven by the skyrocketing costs of RAM and storage.
A memory market at its limit due to AI fever
Since mid-2024, especially throughout 2025, RAM prices have skyrocketed. Recent reports indicate that spot prices for DRAM have nearly tripled compared to the previous year, and DDR4 and DDR5 kits for consumers have doubled in price within a few months.
Some illustrative examples:
- A 32 GB DDR5-6000 kit that a few months ago cost around $90–100 has now risen to about $180–190.
- DDR4 kits, once considered the “cheap” option, have increased so much that in many cases they no longer offer a real advantage over DDR5.
Several interconnected factors are driving this price frenzy:
- Explosion in AI demand: data centers operated by large hyperscalers are filling their racks with GPUs and accelerators for training and deploying massive models, which consume huge amounts of memory, including HBM and DDR5 in servers.
- Accelerated transition to DDR5: the PC and server ecosystems are migrating to DDR5, but manufacturing capacity hasn’t grown at the same pace, creating bottlenecks.
- Limited wafer capacity: opening new factories or expanding lines isn’t feasible in months; it requires billions in investment and years of planning.
Within this context, each decision by Samsung and SK Hynix directly affects what end-users will pay to upgrade their PCs, build new systems, or update their servers.
Samsung reinforces DDR5, LPDDR5X, and GDDR7 to set the pace again
While also competing in HBM, Samsung seems determined to regain ground in traditional DRAM, especially where demand remains robust:
- DDR5 for servers and high-performance PCs, which has become the de facto standard for new platforms.
- LPDDR5X, designed for premium smartphones and ultra-light laptops, but also for so-called “AI PCs” that incorporate NPU and require higher memory bandwidth.
- GDDR7, the next generation of graphics memory for gaming GPUs and professional accelerators, with Samsung already announcing its first commercial chips.
By raising its DRAM production growth targets for 2026, the company sends a clear message: it does not want the entire conversation to focus solely on HBM and AI cloud computing; it also aims to ensure supply—and capture market share—in the vast standard memory business for PCs, mobile devices, and GPUs.
Meanwhile, manufacturers and analysts point out that major memory suppliers are implementing price increases of up to 30% for DRAM and NAND by late 2025, capitalizing on supply-demand tensions.
SK Hynix: leader in HBM but compelled to revisit mainstream DRAM
If there’s a name associated with the AI hardware revolution, it’s SK Hynix. The company has positioned itself as the leading supplier of HBM3 and HBM3E for NVIDIA GPUs, capturing a significant portion of the ultra-high bandwidth memory market.
However, this focus has a cost: for months, a substantial part of its manufacturing capacity has been dedicated to HBM, leaving less room for DDR4 and DDR5. Now, with prices soaring and PC and server customers pressing, the manufacturer is forced to recalibrate.
According to industry reports, SK Hynix plans to multiply several times its advanced 1a-nodes DRAM production by 2026, precisely to meet the demand for standard memories for PCs, laptops, and servers, without abandoning its leadership in HBM.
The message is clear:
- HBM will remain the “crown jewel” due to margins and its role in AI.
- But the mainstream market cannot be abandoned because RAM shortages in PCs and servers threaten to slow sales and frustrate OEMs, integrators, and end users.
What does all this mean for users and 2026?
The big question is whether this coordinated increase in DRAM production targets for 2026 will be enough to normalize the market.
Several scenarios are possible:
- If AI demand continues to grow at the current pace and large data centers hoard HBM and DDR5, price relief could be limited, especially for high-capacity modules (32 GB, 64 GB, and above).
- Conversely, if the AI investment cycle stabilizes and the additional capacity from Samsung and SK Hynix arrives on time, we could see a slowdown in price hikes and even some correction starting in the second half of 2026.
- Meanwhile, some PC manufacturers are already passing some of the increased costs onto final prices, so 2026 models could come to market significantly more expensive than current ones.
What’s clear is that DRAM memory — that often invisible component for the general public — has become a strategic resource in the AI economy. Samsung and SK Hynix have understood this and are aligning their plans for 2026 accordingly. The question for users and companies is how long they will continue to bear the costs of this perfect storm of demand, investment, and limited capacity.