Reuters: Severe shortage of memory chips prompts Samsung to raise prices by up to 60%
Reuters: Severe Memory Chip Shortage Pushes Samsung to Raise Prices by Up to 60%Reuters reported that as companies worldwide race to build artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, the supply of related memory chips has tightened significantly. In response, Samsung Electronics has raised prices for certain memory products this month, with increases of up to 60% compared with September.According to two sources familiar with the matter, Samsung—the world’s largest memory chip maker—implemented the sharp price hikes in November after postponing the official announcement of contract prices in October. Under normal practice, Samsung discloses detailed pricing every month.The soaring prices of these memory chips, which are primarily used in servers, could increase the cost burden on companies constructing data infrastructure. The price hikes may also affect products such as smartphones and computers, which similarly rely on these memory components.Tobey Gonnerman, president of semiconductor distributor Fusion Worldwide, told Reuters: “Many major server manufacturers and data center builders now widely expect that they won’t be able to secure enough products, and the premiums they are paying are quite staggering.”Gonnerman noted that Samsung’s contract price for 32GB DDR5 memory modules jumped from USD 149 in September to USD 239 in November. DDR memory chips are used in servers, computers, and other devices to temporarily store data and efficiently manage high-speed data access, thereby supporting overall computing performance.He added that prices for Samsung’s 16GB and 128GB DDR5 memory modules rose by roughly 50%, reaching USD 135 and USD 1,194 respectively, while the prices of 64GB and 96GB DDR5 modules increased by more than 30%.A separate source who obtained Samsung’s internal briefing confirmed the price hikes. Samsung Electronics declined to comment.Industry executives and analysts stated that the severe memory chip shortage has already triggered panic buying among some customers.Authorized by the Central News Agency (CNA).
