SK Hynix Warns Memory Shortage Could Last Until 2030

SK Hynix, one of the world's largest memory makers, expects the shortage of DRAM and NAND to last as long as 2030. The company made the forecast alongside record financial results for the third quarter of 2026.

According to SK Hynix, available DRAM and HBM production capacity is practically sold out through the end of 2029. It is already covered by existing supply agreements or by advanced negotiations with customers. The manufacturer has signed long-term agreements with 14 key buyers, including large cloud service providers, and those contracts secure more than half of its total capacity for 2027–2028.

HBM demand far exceeds supply

The tightest segment is HBM, the memory used in AI accelerators. SK Hynix says customer demand for these chips is now more than double what it can deliver.

Expanding output takes time, the company notes. Building new fabs and bringing advanced manufacturing processes online cannot be done overnight, while demand driven by artificial intelligence keeps rising. For 2027, SK Hynix expects DRAM demand to grow by roughly 20–29% year over year and NAND demand by around 15–19%.

What it means for buyers

Competition for capacity between data centers and AI infrastructure on one side and consumer electronics on the other is already affecting PC makers, smartphone brands and SSD vendors. Higher memory costs can translate into more expensive hardware for consumers.

SK Hynix stresses that the outlook does not mean every type of memory will be equally scarce for the whole period, or that prices will rise without pause. Still, the forecast suggests the market should not expect a quick return to balance. Buyers may have to live with high prices for RAM and SSDs, and with pricier computers and other devices that use these components, for considerably longer than many would like.