Global Memory Shortage 2026: What Filmmakers Need To Know About Rising NAND, DRAM, and SSD Prices

A extreme, industry-wide reminiscence scarcity is accelerating sooner than anticipated, with NAND flash, DRAM, HBM, HDD elements, and even mature-node chip manufacturing tightening throughout the board. For filmmakers, this growing disaster reaches far past client PC upgrades. It impacts digicam media, on-set storage, post-production machines, and probably even digicam launch timelines.A warning from a digicam card producer to CineD about NAND shortage now aligns with the image painted throughout a number of {industry} stories. Reminiscence suppliers, system integrators, and foundries all describe a tightening market as 2025 ends. Silicon Movement CEO Wallace C. Kou described the scenario as one thing the {industry} has not seen earlier than, noting that HDD, DRAM, HBM and NAND are all heading into extreme scarcity throughout 2026 and that the majority capability is already offered out. His feedback are echoed by main producers worldwide.Because the AI server increase continues, hyperscalers are absorbing monumental portions of reminiscence. The shift deeply impacts each different phase, together with images and cinema. Tendencies that after appeared unrelated to filmmaking now have a direct impression on how productions retailer, edit, and safeguard media.SSDs are set to turn out to be costlier alongside most different varieties of media. Picture credit score: PexelsWhy the scarcity is happeningThe present provide squeeze is primarily pushed by aggressive AI infrastructure growth. Excessive Bandwidth Reminiscence, which is crucial for contemporary AI accelerators, consumes extra wafers and manufacturing sources than customary DRAM, leaving fewer sources out there for client reminiscence. Producers are prioritizing these excessive margin server elements as a result of AI corporations are prepared to pay a premium for quick supply.In response to CNBC, reminiscence corporations are diverting manufacturing towards AI servers as an alternative of client electronics, with analysts warning that offer constraints for telephones, PCs and vehicles will proceed into subsequent yr. In the meantime, Samsung has already raised costs for choose reminiscence chips by as much as 60 % in comparison with September, a transfer that illustrates how sharply costs are trending upward throughout the provision chain.Foundries are seeing the consequences from a unique angle. SMIC reported that its clients are holding again orders for different semiconductor elements just because they have no idea whether or not sufficient reminiscence might be out there to finish completed merchandise in early 2026. SMIC warned that the complete market is experiencing a surge in costs and a breakdown of predictable provide allocation.RAM costs are additionally anticipated to surge. Picture credit score: PexelsPanic shopping for and a cascading provide crunchOne of the clearest indicators of {industry} stress is the habits of enormous PC and {hardware} producers. Asus and MSI are shopping for reminiscence modules on the spot market to safe stock, a apply usually used just for short-notice purchases by smaller corporations. DigiTimes stories that this type of panic shopping for has entered the fourth quarter of 2025 and will lengthen into 2027, suggesting a protracted tail of shortage.Guru3D notes that even corporations with long-term provide agreements are buying aggressively, which is an indication that offer confidence has eroded. Retail patrons are already feeling the impression, as RAM costs have doubled in lots of areas and deliberate product launches have been pushed into 2026 as a result of producers can’t supply sufficient DRAM.TechPowerUp provides an extra layer of concern. Rising DRAM, NAND and NOR flash costs are forcing GPU and motherboard makers to gradual and even pause growth. Mid to excessive finish GPU fashions could also be lower or delayed as a result of reminiscence now accounts for an unusually giant share of complete part value. DDR4 particularly is turning into scarce, with tens of 1000’s of wafers of shortfall projected as manufacturing capability is redirected towards newer requirements and AI-grade reminiscence.Digital camera storage costs are anticipated to rise considerably. Picture credit score: Samsung by way of UnsplashWhat this implies for filmmakersThe filmmaking ecosystem relies upon closely on NAND flash and DRAM. Digital camera producers depend on quick, thermally steady NAND for CFexpress and SD playing cards. Exterior recorders, on-set DIT methods, and high-end screens all require substantial DRAM and flash storage. Put up-production machines are constructed on GPU reminiscence, DDR5 and huge SSD arrays. Archival workflows rely on each excessive capability HDDs and enterprise SSDs.With all of those product classes underneath strain, the impression on filmmaking can turn out to be seen in a number of areas.Digital camera media costs are more likely to rise all through 2026 as a result of NAND prices feed instantly into CFexpress, SDXC and moveable SSD manufacturing. These merchandise sometimes use increased grade flash with extra stringent thermal and endurance traits. If reminiscence suppliers prioritize AI merchandise, digicam card distributors might wrestle to safe the volumes they want, leading to increased retail pricing and fewer availability of enormous capability playing cards.On the workstation facet, RAM inflation is already vital. PC Gamer tracked DDR5 and DDR4 value spikes as excessive as 94 to 115 % on mainstream kits, a pattern that aligns with international manufacturing constraints. Modifying methods, colour grading machines and digital manufacturing rigs that rely on excessive capability reminiscence swimming pools will turn out to be costlier to construct and keep.Storage for post-production can also be getting into a extra risky section. Chilly storage HDDs, which studios depend on for long run archiving, are affected by the broader provide chain pressures. Cloud suppliers are starting to shift some archival workloads towards QLC SSDs attributable to HDD constraints. This shift tightens NAND provide additional and will ultimately trigger SSD pricing to climb in the identical approach DRAM has over the previous months.There are early indicators that even client gadgets could also be affected. Digitimes and different shops report that some pocket book and motherboard distributors have halted or delayed new product growth as a result of they can’t safe sufficient reminiscence at viable value buildings. If this extends to digicam producers, sure fashions that depend on inside RAM buffers or embedded flash may face comparable delays.There might be a large crunch in digicam reminiscence costs in 2026. Picture credit score: CineDHow lengthy will this lastUnfortunately, the outlook isn’t optimistic. Regardless of rising costs, main reminiscence producers will not be accelerating manufacturing. Micron, SK hynix and Samsung are specializing in analysis and density enhancements slightly than increasing customary DRAM output. They’re prioritizing HBM and AI associated merchandise, which supply considerably increased returns. Even with a 14 % annual enhance in funding throughout DRAM, the out there bit output isn’t anticipated to develop sufficient to alleviate shortages till a minimum of 2027.This lack of recent capability is rooted in threat avoidance. After the extreme reminiscence downturn of 2023 and 2024, corporations stay hesitant to speculate tens of billions in new fabs with out certainty that the AI increase will persist at its present tempo. Analysts quoted by a number of sources warn that the {industry} is balancing on the sting of a potential AI bubble. If demand contracts all of a sudden, producers might be left with overbuilt capability. Till that threat fades, manufacturing growth will stay conservative.Making ready for a tighter media landscapeFor filmmakers, 2026 might turn out to be a yr the place storage and reminiscence must be deliberate extra strategically. Productions that depend on giant volumes of CFexpress media or multi-terabyte SSD arrays might wish to safe stock earlier of their manufacturing calendar to keep away from value spikes or shortages. Services working reminiscence intensive workflows, resembling 8K ending, actual time HDR monitoring or digital manufacturing, ought to count on increased improve prices for workstations and servers.The reminiscence scarcity isn’t remoted to at least one phase of the know-how {industry}. It touches almost each stage of the filmmaking pipeline, from acquisition to supply. As AI infrastructure continues to broaden, the query turns into whether or not the digicam and post-production markets can keep stability inside a provide chain now dominated by a completely completely different class of purchaser.How will your manufacturing adapt if the price of the storage you depend on doubles once more? Tell us within the feedback.