Micron Sees Memory Shortage Lasting Through 2028 as 75% of 2027 Output Is Already Booked
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Oct 1
Micron Sees Memory Shortage Lasting Through 2028 as 75% of 2027 Output Is Already Booked
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Oct 1
Summary
Micron told investors demand for its memory will exceed supply through at least 2028, with 75% of its 2027 output already committed and most current sales talks focused on 2028.
AI is driving the squeeze: Micron said high-bandwidth memory demand now exceeds DRAM demand, while manufacturing capacity is being steered toward HBM and server memory instead of consumer devices.
2028 clean-room expansions will not quickly ease the shortage because wafer output ramps gradually, HBM shifts from 3E to 4 and 4E add supply headwinds, and newer nodes deliver smaller productivity gains per wafer.
Samsung executives echoed the tight outlook this week, reinforcing that the shortage extends beyond Micron and could keep memory supply constrained across both data-center and consumer markets.
Could emerging technologies like High Bandwidth Flash disrupt the current memory monopoly before the projected 2029 supply crisis?
If enterprises waste half their memory capacity, will the impending 2028 shortage trigger a massive shift toward software optimization over hardware upgrades?
With AI cannibalizing memory production, will the skyrocketing cost of older chips force a premature death for conventional servers by 2027?