AI – Chip ICT

February 4, 2026

Global prices for RAM (DRAM) memory and SSD storage (NAND flash) are rising sharply at the start of 2026, marking a new phase of sustained cost pressure across the IT hardware supply chain. Market analysts indicate that these increases are not short-term fluctuations, but part of a structural supply imbalance that may persist through 2027 and potentially into 2028.

Record Price Increases in Early 2026

According to recent market forecasts from TrendForce, DRAM contract prices are expected to rise by 90–95% in Q1 2026 compared to the previous quarter, one of the largest quarter-on-quarter increases ever recorded. NAND flash prices, which directly impact SSD costs, are also projected to increase by more than 50% during the same period.

These increases are already being reflected in higher pricing for servers, workstations, laptops, and enterprise storage solutions.

What Is Driving the Shortage?

The primary driver behind the price surge is exceptional demand from hyperscalers, cloud providers, and AI infrastructure projects. Advanced AI workloads require vast amounts of high-performance memory and storage, absorbing a disproportionate share of global DRAM and NAND production.

At the same time, major memory manufacturers have reallocated capacity toward high-margin products such as High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), reducing availability for traditional enterprise, OEM, and commercial markets.

Long-Term Outlook: Pressure Extends to 2028

Industry analysts, including TechInsights, expect memory pricing to stabilize only temporarily around 2027, with renewed upward pressure possible in 2028 as demand continues to outpace new production capacity. New fabs and capacity expansions are underway, but most are not expected to operate at meaningful volume until late 2027 or beyond.

As a result, organizations should plan for persistently higher baseline prices for memory and storage components over the medium term.

Impact on the IT and Enterprise Market

The sustained rise in RAM and SSD pricing has clear implications:

Higher hardware acquisition costs for servers, PCs, and storage systems
Increased total cost of ownership (TCO) for infrastructure projects
Budget and procurement challenges for IT departments and managed service providers
Longer lead times and increased price volatility in spot markets

For resellers and system integrators, the situation creates both risk and opportunity, emphasizing the importance of inventory strategy, supplier agreements, and transparent pricing communication with customers.

What Organizations Should Consider Now

To mitigate the impact of ongoing price increases, IT decision-makers may consider:

Proactive procurement and forward purchasing
Long-term or volume-based supplier contracts
Re-evaluating hardware refresh cycles and capacity planning

Conclusion

The current surge in RAM and SSD pricing represents a structural shift in the memory market, driven by AI, cloud expansion, and constrained supply. With analysts warning that price pressure could extend through 2027 and into 2028, organizations across the IT ecosystem should prepare for a prolonged period of elevated component costs and adjust their strategies accordingly.

Sources:

TrendForce – DRAM and NAND Flash Price Forecasts (February 2026)
Reuters – AI-driven memory supply constraints and pricing trends
TechInsights – Memory market outlook and long-term capacity projections
Tom’s Hardware – NAND shortages and SSD price escalation

Thursday, January 31, 2019 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Today, Bright Computing, a global leader in cluster and cloud
infrastructure automation software, announced a partnership with Chip ICT, a reseller operating across Belgium and
the Netherlands.

Chip ICT is a Dutch-based IT company that delivers high quality IT solutions, and helps its customers transition their IT
to the next generation of digital transformation. Chip ICT offers solutions in traditional HPC clusters for scientific research,
as well as deep-learning and artificial intelligence. Its customer base consists of leading enterprise organizations, research
institutes, universities, and governmental departments in the BeNeLux region.

Chip ICT has chosen to add Bright’s technology to its product portfolio in order to provide its customers with a management
suite that is quick to install and easy to use. With a number of Chip ICT’s clients in the university space already having
deployed Bright, the newest member of Bright’s Reseller network is off to a flying start.

Marco van der Hart, Managing Director at Chip ICT, commented; “Bright Cluster Manager for HPC and Data Science are
great products to add to our market offering. We specialise in offering best in class HPC and deep learning solutions
to our customers, so we are confident that the Bright technology will bring value to our customer base.”

Lee Carter, VP Alliances at Bright Computing, added; “Chip ICT works closely with clients to offer HPC and AI solutions
that push the boundaries of technology, empowering organizations to carry out their research more quickly and efficiently.
So, we are delighted that Chip ICT has chosen to include Bright in its product portfolio, to help our mutual customers realise
those goals.”

Chip ICT will be offering Bright Cluster Manager for HPC and Bright Cluster Manager for Data Science to its customers,
enabling them to automate the process of building and managing Linux clusters in their data centers.

For more information about the Bright partnership with Chip ICT, please email pr-team@brightcomputing.com

AI

RAM and SSD Prices Surge: IT Hardware Costs Set to Rise Through 2028