Overview
- Apacer CEO C. K. Chang said at a July 24 investor briefing that memory manufacturers may release only about 30% of the volume they supplied to module makers in 2026, implying roughly a 70% drop in 2027 availability for downstream suppliers.
- To prepare, Apacer increased inventory to about $383 million by mid‑2026 and is arranging multi‑year financing so it can buy chips when they become available.
- Industry reporting estimates roughly 60% of DRAM capacity is now being allocated to servers and AI infrastructure, which shifts supply away from consumer DDR4/DDR5 products.
- Server DDR5 RDIMM prices have surged and are expected to keep climbing, and consumer RAM and high‑capacity SSDs face higher prices and tighter retail availability that could pressure smaller hardware makers.
- Analysts and equipment suppliers say NAND output may improve in late 2027 after tool and factory upgrades but warn DRAM shortages could persist longer because wafer allocation, yield ramps, and process shifts favor high‑margin AI-related memory.