The global memory market is experiencing a period of strong volatility as RAM and SSD prices continuously hit new peaks. The main reason comes from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom wave, causing large technology companies to stockpile large amounts of memory to serve data centers.
In that context, many rumors suggest that Asus will participate in DRAM production to proactively manage supply and reduce dependence on existing suppliers.
According to unofficial sources, Asus may release the first DRAM chips at the beginning of next year, if the memory price continues to be high. However, this information was quickly denied by Asus itself.
A news report translated and published by CNA (Taiwan) quoted a statement from the company, affirming that Asus "has no plans to invest in memory factories".
A representative of Asus said that the company will not participate in the DRAM business, which requires huge investment costs and a very long capital recovery time.
Instead, the company focuses on strengthening relationships with existing memory providers, while adjusting product configurations and optimizing device life cycles to adapt to supply-demand fluctuations.
DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is an important type of memory, commonly used in desktop computers, laptops, servers and even smartphones.
The DRAM shortage not only affects the consumer PC industry but also strongly impacts the fields of cloud computing and AI.
Analysts believe that even if Asus has enough financial potential to invest, building a memory factory will take at least two years before it can go into operation. This means that if participating, Asus will not be able to solve the memory crisis that is taking place in the short term.
Asus's co-CEO, Mr. Hu Shu-bin, shared that each business operates according to a different cycle and strategy. However, he admitted that increased costs will eventually be reflected in the selling price, meaning consumers will have to pay more for PCs with large RAM capacity.
Some reports suggest that the memory shortage may last for the next few years, while more optimistic forecasts suggest that the market will gradually stabilize after about a year.
Notably, the three largest suppliers, Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, are holding more than 90% of the global DRAM market share, but currently have no plans to sharply increase production, as they still earn very high profits from the current price level.
In that context, Asus's denial of RAM production rumors shows that the company chose to adapt instead of betting on a risky field. PC users, therefore, may still have to prepare mentally for a period of expensive memory components that lasts.
