SK Hynix now expects the memory shortage to last until 2030

Why not produce more memory? Manufacturers are working on it, but it takes several years at minimum to build new semiconductor factories and spin up production to necessary levels. SK Hynix also points out that the actual manufacturing processes for increasingly advanced memory chips have gotten more technically challenging in recent years.

SK Hynix has already signed long-term supply agreements covering more than half of its planned production capacity for 2027 and 2028. And earlier this year, SK Hynix announced plans to invest $13 billion into a massive fabrication facility, but that won’t become operational until 2030. Meanwhile, Samsung—one of the two other major memory makers—says its own shortage situation will last until at least 2028.

The ongoing shortage will continue to have consequences for ordinary consumers around the world. As manufacturers prioritize profitable enterprise memory chips for AI servers, production and supply of consumer-grade RAM and storage will stagnate or even dwindle, causing prices to rise even higher than they’ve already gone in 2026. Any device that relies on RAM and storage—from phones to laptops to GPUs to smart home gadgets—will feel the squeeze that hasn’t yet fully squoze.