"DRAM Beggars": American Corporations Urgently Buying RAM in Seoul
American tech giants have sent procurement teams to Seoul to secure RAM supplies at any cost. According to the report, competition for memory has reached such a level that insiders have dubbed these representatives "DRAM beggars."
Employees from companies including Google and Microsoft, are massively occupying hotels in the Pangyo and Pyeongtaek districts, near the headquarters of Samsung and SK Hynix. These South Korean manufacturers control the majority of the global DRAM market.
Sources report that in negotiations for the first quarter, Samsung and SK Hynix demanded a 50-60% increase in server DRAM prices compared to the previous quarter.
According to Chosun, the average fixed price of DRAM rose from $1.40 for DDR4 8GB in January last year to $9.30 in December. Insiders note that companies are seeking to purchase maximum volumes before the next round of price increases.
The situation is exacerbated by Micron's departure from the consumer market. At the same time, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are increasing production, but the market is estimated to feel the effect of this no sooner than in a few years.
