Global memory shortage fuels AI slowdown and sparks Micron legal probe

A severe shortage of memory chips, dubbed “RAMageddon,” is tightening the global technology supply chain. Three manufacturers—Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron—control most DRAM production, and their shift to high‑bandwidth memory for AI data centers has reduced the supply of conventional RAM and SSD components, driving up prices for smartphones, PCs, cars and other consumer electronics.

A Spanish YouTuber highlighted the price surge by building a 64‑bit USB from 1950s magnetic‑core memory, underscoring how unaffordable modern memory has become.

At the same time, Micron faces a class‑action lawsuit alleging it, Samsung and SK Hynix colluded to restrict DRAM and NAND supply and inflate prices. The case is compounded by accusations that Micron made a $250 million donation to Trump‑linked “Trump Accounts,” raising suspicions of a political payoff aimed at influencing the litigation.

Samsung is reportedly preparing a low‑cost SSD that forgoes dedicated DRAM cache in favor of a host‑memory buffer and likely QLC NAND, a move intended to curb manufacturing expenses amid the memory price surge.