Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron accused of colluding on RAM prices; lawsuit unlikely to end 'RAM crunch' - 디지털투데이

Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron have been accused of colluding to manipulate RAM prices, sparking industry concern. A lawsuit alleges that these three memory manufacturers deliberately reduc... Read original →

The allegations against Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron reveal a structural vulnerability in the memory industry under AI-driven demand shifts. Technically, forced migration from DDR3/4 strains legacy infrastructure, inflating BOM costs for industrial and edge devices. Given their prior price-fixing admissions in the 2000s, any proven collusion now could trigger severe antitrust penalties in the U.S. and EU, compelling greater production transparency. Strategically, while Chinese players like CXMT can’t yet challenge HBM dominance, they may capture DDR4 share, pressuring incumbents to spin off non-AI memory units. Over the next 12–24 months, regardless of legal outcomes, hyperscalers will accelerate multi-sourcing and adopt CXL/Chiplet architectures—eroding the oligopoly’s pricing power permanently.