AMD exec says memory supply could ramp into 2028, easing shortages

PC RAM prices have surged as AI workloads have soaked up large portions of the market's memory supply, and manufacturers have largely shifted production from DDR4 to DDR5. David McAfee, AMD’s global vice president and general manager of the client channel business, says DDR4 production has fallen in recent years even as demand for newer memory types grows.

McAfee highlights that memory makers are bringing significant capacity online for DDR, LPDDR and HBM. "I think that the thing that gives me hope is that there are a couple of things that we know... there is an enormous amount of capacity that is being built," he says, adding that a clearer ramp should appear "by the end of next year and into 2028." The demand picture complicates that recovery.

Server refresh cycles and an "AI supercycle" are driving unusual demand, and firms such as Micron and Team Group have warned that supplies will remain tight and prices could rise.

amd, david mcafee, memory supply, pc ram, ddr4, ddr5, lpddr, hbm, ai workloads, micron