Acer, Asus, and HP start putting China's CXMT memory into notebooks
Acer, Asus, and HP have begun shipping limited volumes of DRAM from China's CXMT — a supplier the US government has designated as linked to the Chinese military — as AI data centers absorb roughly 70% of 2026 memory production and DRAM costs triple in 18 months. The crunch is now severe enough that PC makers will carry that geopolitical exposure, and recycle outdated memory into new machines, rather than wait on SK Hynix and Samsung.
Source: semafor.com ↗
AI-driven data center buildouts are expected to take up 70% of all memory chip production in 2026, a level of demand that has tripled DRAM costs in the last 18 months.
Nikkei
Why this matters
- → AI data centers consuming 70% of memory supply, tripling DRAM costs and forcing PC makers into geopolitical ri
- → US-designated military-linked Chinese supplier entering mainstream PC supply chains due to shortage severity.
- → Supply crunch severe enough that recycled components now competitive with new production.
Memory squeeze reshapes supply chains