RAM prices have surged 300% since 2023, with Western Digital and Micron exiting consumer markets, leaving only two suppliers. Data centers for AI giants like OpenAI’s Stargate project consume 40% of global DRAM output monthly. This shift forces consumers into a hardware arms race where upgrades become unaffordable and devices lock features behind paywalls. LPDDR memory shortages now cripple smartphones, laptops, and routers, with prices doubling in 2026. NAND flash and HDD shortages follow, as Kioxia and Silicon Motion warn of collapses in consumer electronics. Valve confirms Steam Deck OLED models vanish from US/Canada stores, while Phison predicts NAND scarcity until 2030.

Prepayment demands for factory capacity now exclude smaller manufacturers, accelerating monopolies.