Valve: DRAM makers set monthly prices and cut off buyers

Valve says the handful of companies that make DRAM set monthly prices and effectively decide who they will supply. The company says there are no contracts: suppliers give a price and a quantity each month, and if Valve refuses, "they never talk to us again." That dynamic is a major reason Valve priced the base Steam Machine at $1,050.

Limited supply and shifting prices mean Valve must accept whatever memory it can buy. Some Steam Machines will ship with one 16GB stick while others use two 8GB sticks; Valve says testing showed no noticeable performance difference. DRAM makers have concentrated on filling large, advance orders from AI hyperscalers and datacenters, and some have largely abandoned consumer memory products.

The piece also notes that some manufacturers were once involved in a cartel over 25 years ago, and even consumer-focused firms like Gskill struggle to buy parts because they are no longer large enough compared with OpenAI.

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