The memory market is experiencing a strange moment: while data centers compete for hardware for Artificial Intelligence, consumers are beginning to notice the indirect consequences in a basic component like RAM. In this context, a rumor from specialized media sources points to an unexpected move: ASUS might consider becoming a manufacturer (or more precisely, a producer) of RAM modules if the supply situation and prices do not normalize in the coming months.
The information originates from the Middle Eastern tech press environment and has been picked up by other international outlets. According to these reports, the plan is that ASUS could activate its own production lines for memory modules before the end of Q2 2026, provided the availability crisis and market bottleneck continue.
Why is DDR5 scarce: when AI memory shifts away from “traditional” memory
The core cause is not a single factor but a combination:
- Explosion of demand in data centers: AI infrastructure boosts the production of high-value memory (such as HBM), which reorders industrial priorities.
- Reallocation of capacity and focus on more profitable products: when the industry can sell more expensively to a segment (AI/server), it tends to prioritize it.
- Effects on prices and availability: analysis firms have been warning about tensions in the “conventional” DRAM supply chain (DDR4/DDR5), with forecasts of price increases across different market segments.
Adding to this scenario is another relevant fact: Micron announced its exit from the consumer memory business under the Crucial brand, a move that, if consolidated, reduces retail supply at a delicate time already.
But… would ASUS “manufacture” RAM chips?
It’s important to clarify here, because the headline can be misleading.
- Manufacturing DRAM chips (the silicon) involves a near-standalone scale: fabs, advanced lithography, massive investments, and decades of know-how.
- Manufacturing RAM modules (DIMM/SO-DIMM) usually entails something else: designing the PCB, sourcing third-party DRAM chips, integrating PMIC/SPD (on DDR5), validating profiles, ensuring quality, packaging, and distribution.
Based on how the rumor is being circulated, the most reasonable interpretation is that ASUS would consider producing modules (assembly/validation) rather than creating DRAM chips from scratch. That is: an important industrial step, but not equivalent to “becoming Samsung or SK hynix.”
What would ASUS gain from this move?
If shortages persist, ASUS would have clear incentives:
- Securing supply for its own laptops and desktops:
In a tense market, controlling the module (even if not the chip) can help stabilize availability. - Optimization and “ecosystem”:
More control over compatibility, profiles, and cross-validation with its motherboards and high-performance ranges. - Diversifying revenue streams:
If memory prices stay high, module margins could be attractive… provided execution is good.
Risks: entering late, expensive, or just when the market is recovering
There are also reasons for caution:
- If supply normalizes by 2026: ASUS might find the business less profitable than expected.
- Intense competition in modules, where differentiation often relies on validation, warranty, binning, availability, and brand.
- Partial dependence unavoidable: even manufacturing modules, they would still need DRAM chips from major suppliers.
The key point: what is confirmed and what is not
As of today, there is no official ASUS announcement confirming concrete industrial plans to produce RAM. What has been published should be understood as a conditioned scenario (“if the crisis continues until Q2 2026…”) and therefore as information to monitor, not as a firm fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will ASUS definitely manufacture RAM?
No official confirmation exists. The circulating reports describe a possibility if shortages and prices continue.
Does this mean ASUS will manufacture DDR5 chips?
Most likely, if it happens, it would be module manufacturing/assembly (DIMM/SO-DIMM) using third-party chips, not the fabrication of silicon DRAM itself.
Why does AI impact the price of laptop RAM?
Because demand from data centers can shift industrial capacity toward higher-margin memories and pressure the global availability of conventional DRAM, affecting supply and prices.
Could Crucial’s exit from the consumer market worsen the situation?
It may reduce retail options and concentrate the market further, though the actual impact will depend on how inventories, brands, and channels reorganize.
Sources:
- Gadgets 360 (rumor about ASUS and RAM)
- Reuters (Micron and exit from consumer/Crucial business)
- TrendForce / DRAM (market context and DRAM prices)