Analysis
HP, Asus and Acer have begun using small volumes of DRAM chips from China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) in notebook computers sold outside the United States, as an AI-driven global memory shortage forces PC makers to look beyond their traditional suppliers, according to Semafor and Tom's Hardware. AI data center buildouts are on pace to consume roughly 70% of global memory chip production this year, a demand shift that has pushed component prices up several hundred percent over the past 18 months.
The chips, validated by PC makers earlier this summer, are limited to models sold outside the US and represent a small share of each company's total memory sourcing -- CXMT itself prioritizes domestic customers like Huawei over export volume. Even so, the move is notable: Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix have dominated PC memory supply for years, and PC makers have historically avoided Chinese DRAM given both quality-assurance concerns and the geopolitical sensitivity of the category.
“SK Hynix has said the shortage could persist past 2030 if AI data center demand doesn't ease, a risk that argues against treating this as a temporary 2026 blip.”
The shortage's root cause isn't new -- Pulse has tracked SK Hynix's stock swings as memory demand from AI hyperscalers has squeezed consumer electronics supply for months -- but PC makers actually substituting Chinese chips into shipping products, even at small volumes, is a harder signal than another earnings warning. SK Hynix has said the shortage could persist past 2030 if AI data center demand doesn't ease, a risk that argues against treating this as a temporary 2026 blip.