Asus Confirms: No Plans to Manufacture Its Own DRAM

If you’ve been shopping for a new PC or upgrading your memory lately, you’ve probably felt the pinch: RAM prices have quadrupled in just a few months, and a severe shortage of RAM and SSDs is rocking the computer hardware market. Now, a much-rumored solution from Asus has been shot down – the Taiwanese PC maker has confirmed it has no plans to build its own DRAM factories, leaving consumers to face what’s being called an “AI tax” on their builds.

The crisis is being driven almost entirely by the AI boom. Big tech companies are hoarding memory for their data centers, prompting major manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron (which control over 90% of the market) to shift production from consumer-focused DDR5 modules to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI accelerators. The shift has hit consumers hard: Micron even shut down its popular consumer brand, Crucial, to focus on the more profitable enterprise segment.

Recently, reports by Wccftech (including one suggesting Asus could enter DRAM production as early as Q2 2026) sparked hope that the company might fill the gap. But in statements to Taiwanese publications CNA and Taiwan News, Asus quashed the rumors outright, saying it has “no plans to invest in memory fabs.” The reason? Building a chip factory isn’t like assembling laptops – it costs billions of dollars and takes several years to get up and running (analysts estimate 2 to 5 years), making it too risky and slow to solve the current shortage.

Instead of manufacturing its own memory, Asus says it will deepen ties with existing suppliers and “respond to market conditions by adjusting product specifications and optimizing life cycles.” Co-CEO Hu Shu-bin added that companies will eventually “reflect costs in pricing,” meaning consumers will likely keep paying more for PCs with extra RAM.

How long will the crunch last? Predictions vary – some say a year, others two – but with top vendors choosing to maintain high profit margins rather than increase production, relief isn’t coming anytime soon.