- About Us
-
Research Report
Semiconductors
LED
Consumer Electronics
Emerging Technologies
- Selected Topics
- Membership
- Price Trends
- Press Center
- News
- Events
- AI Agent
The DRAM market faces shortages. Suppliers hold low inventory and strong pricing power, driving contract prices up, notably in PC and Server sectors. Buyers accept hikes to secure supply, squeezing module margins. Only mobile inventory remains stable in this seller's market.
Looking ahead to 2026, major global CSPs are significantly increasing capital expenditures on AI infrastructure, focusing on high-density GPU racks and self-developed ASICs to optimize costs. North American giants are leading the adoption of NVIDIA solutions and proprietary chips, driving the share of AI servers and ASICs. Meanwhile, OEMs like Dell and IEIT are aggressively deploying AI solutions amidst intense competition and geopolitical challenges.
AI fuels HBM/storage price hikes, pushing Memory revenue past Foundry. While weak mature nodes and capacity barriers slow Foundry, Memory's output efficiency and price volatility drive its market dominance through 2026.
Contract negotiations for 1Q26 are delayed, while spot prices remain high and stable. Major manufacturers report strong earnings with depleted inventory, shifting capacity toward high-margin AI products, tightening conventional DRAM supply. Robust AI demand offsets weaker consumer sentiment caused by price hikes. With intensifying competition in next-gen HBM, the seller's market persists, and prices are projected to rise significantly in the first half of the year.
Global Server Market – Trends and Outlook for 1Q26
Supply tightness and shifts to high-end lines drove Consumer DRAM prices up in January. With PC and server demand squeezing capacity, analysts significantly raised Q1 forecasts, seeing no near-term correction due to unresolved imbalances.
Server DRAM prices are set for a sharp surge in early 2026 driven by critical shortages. Suppliers retain strong leverage, with Korean makers delaying quotes to maximize hikes. Despite capacity reallocation, significant supply gaps persist as the market shifts to higher-speed specifications.
Restricted by supply shortages, PC DRAM contract prices skyrocketed in the first quarter, with DDR4 outperforming DDR5. Although rising laptop prices have dampened full-year shipment forecasts, low inventory levels and new platform demand have led to a sharp upward revision in price outlooks. Major suppliers are strategically delaying pricing, sustaining a strong bullish market.
While most smartphone brands have not yet officially initiated price negotiations for 1Q26 mobile DRAM, market signals indicate that the upward trend will persist this quarter, with momentum exceeding that of the previous quarter. US-based clients have already finalized negotiations, while Chinese clients are expected to settle theirs after the Lunar New Year. With overall DRAM supply remaining tight, product profitability has become the decisive factor in securing resource allocation. On the end-market front, rising memory prices are causing a decline in smartphone and notebook shipments, as well as extending replacement cycles. Facing this high-cost environment, brands are compelled to rethink their strategies to control BOM costs and maintain price competitiveness.
Persistent DRAM supply shortages have empowered suppliers, driving sharp upward revisions in contract prices. High-margin Server DRAM now leads profitability, prompting capacity shifts. Consequently, pricing trends remain strong with limited negotiation room for buyers.
Research Areas:
Industry News
