News, October 2026
Komprise and Spectra Logic move rarely used company data to tape
Data management firm Komprise is partnering with tape specialist Spectra Logic, reports StorageNewsletter. Komprise software finds rarely used files on expensive primary storage and moves them to the Spectra BlackPearl Object Gateway, which manages disk and tape behind an S3-compatible interface (access like Amazon cloud storage). The files stay reachable at their original location. The companies cite rising flash prices: according to the announcement, enterprise TLC SSDs (3 bits per memory cell) cost 6.5 times as much as a year ago, and LTO tape vendors reported 57% more shipped capacity in Q1 2026.
For buyers: The news targets businesses but shows that tape is back in demand as low-cost archive storage. Anyone with large amounts of rarely accessed data may want to consider LTO tapes as an alternative to hard drives.
TB index Tape (LTO) 10.64 $/TBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: StorageNewsletter
Lightbits releases native storage plug-in for Proxmox VE
Lightbits Labs has released an open-source plug-in for the Proxmox VE virtualization platform and has been named a Solution Provider by Proxmox Server Solutions, reports StorageNewsletter. The plug-in connects Proxmox clusters via NVMe over TCP (SSD access over standard Ethernet) to Lightbits storage, which runs on standard servers with NVMe SSDs. Administrators can create and resize volumes and take snapshots from the Proxmox interface. It supports Proxmox VE 9.x and all maintained Lightbits releases. Lightbits aims the offering at companies evaluating alternatives to VMware.
For buyers: Nothing changes directly for consumers. Anyone running Proxmox in a home lab or small business gains another way to attach shared SSD storage over Ethernet.
Source: StorageNewsletter
Sandisk: quarterly revenue climbs to 11 billion dollars as consumer sales shrink
Sandisk posted record revenue of 11 billion US dollars in the first quarter of its fiscal year 2027, up 378% year over year, reports Blocks & Files. GAAP (US accounting rules) net income came to 8.1 billion dollars. The data center business grew to 4.8 billion dollars, while consumer revenue fell 39% to 397 million dollars, which Sandisk attributes to the market adjusting to higher prices. For the current quarter Sandisk expects 12.4 billion dollars, give or take 200 million. First samples of products based on HBF (stacked high-bandwidth flash for AI chips) are due in 2027.
For buyers: Sandisk links the consumer decline to higher prices and says demand from its large customers exceeds its supply through the end of the decade. For buyers of SSDs, memory cards and USB sticks this argues against quickly falling prices, though that remains an assessment.
TB index SSDs 116.72 $/TBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Blocks & Files
Canon: cameras set to cost more in 2027 due to pricier DRAM
Canon expects higher camera prices next year, reports Notebookcheck. In a Q&A document published with its third quarter 2026 results, the company says components such as mainboards are hard to source in sufficient quantities, while the cost of image sensors and DRAM keeps rising. Cameras use DRAM as buffer memory for captures. Canon plans to pass the extra costs on through higher prices while weighing the effect on sales volumes. Canon had previously assumed costs would fall again in the second half of 2027 and now expects them to keep rising throughout 2027.
For buyers: According to Canon, anyone planning to buy a new camera should expect price increases of varying size in 2027. The report shows the memory shortage now reaching devices beyond PCs and consoles.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Notebookcheck
Intelligent Memory secures more DDR4 and eMMC supply for industrial customers
Industrial memory maker Intelligent Memory has secured additional DDR4 and eMMC (soldered flash memory) supply and is expanding its range of DDR4 chips, DDR4 modules and eMMC, reports StorageNewsletter. The expanded lineup will be shown at electronica 2026, where further product details are to follow. New distribution partners are Sourceability and Flip Electronics. The company says the industry is shifting investment toward newer memory generations while devices with long lifecycles still need DDR4 and eMMC.
For buyers: The announcement targets industrial and device makers. For DDR4 buyers it shows that, according to Intelligent Memory, the industry's move to newer generations makes older memory harder to source; the company gives no pricing details.
TB index DDR4 UDIMM 6.51 $/GBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: StorageNewsletter
Samsung: memory business brings in 140.7 trillion won in Q3
Samsung Electronics posted revenue of 195.3 trillion won (about 145.5 billion US dollars) in the third quarter of 2026, up 121.8% year over year, reports Blocks & Files. Operating profit reached 107.4 trillion won. The DS (Device Solutions) semiconductor division brought in 147 trillion won, 140.7 trillion of it from memory, driven by HBM4 (stacked memory for AI accelerators) and server SSDs. Samsung plans to supply more high-speed server DDR5 and more QLC SSDs (4 bits per cell) and expects AI demand in 2027 to exceed industry supply by a wider margin than in 2026.
For buyers: Samsung cites higher market prices across all applications and expects even tighter supply in 2027. For RAM and SSD buyers this points to prices staying high, though that remains an assessment.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Blocks & Files
Micron pays large bonuses in Taiwan as Taoyuan pay dispute continues
Micron is paying its production staff in Taiwan 3 bonuses at once in October, reports Tom's Hardware, citing Digitimes. They include an annual bonus of mostly 7.5 to 12.5 months of salary, a mass production bonus of 20% of annual salary and a one-time 1,000,000 Taiwan dollars (about 31,000 US dollars). About 700 of the more than 4,300 production workers receive a combined 5 years of salary this way. A quarterly profit bonus for staff worldwide starts in January 2027. In Taoyuan, nearly 70% of union members rejected the latest offer, and the next meeting is tentatively set for November 6.
For buyers: After the one-day strike in Taoyuan, the pay dispute remains unresolved. The source does not say whether it affects DRAM production.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Tom's Hardware
OpenAI CEO Altman: RAM in home PCs is poorly utilized
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized memory in home computers in a conversation with the YouTube channel Cheeky Pint, report Tom's Hardware and WinFuture. From a global allocation view, he said, it is bad for scarce DRAM to sit in many home PCs where it is used only about 5% of the time. With supply this tight, memory should be kept as fully utilized as possible in data centers. Tom's Hardware notes that OpenAI earns its money mainly with models running in data centers.
For buyers: The statement by itself changes neither supply nor prices. It shows how strongly AI providers compete for the same scarce DRAM that PC buyers need.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GBchange from tomorrow(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Sources: Tom's Hardware, WinFuture
Intel: tight memory supply expected to weigh on the PC market into 2027
Intel reported its third-quarter results on October 29, 2026: revenue of 16.5 billion US dollars, up 21% year over year. For the fourth quarter Intel expects only 15.0 to 16.0 billion US dollars. According to the earnings call summary by BigGo Finance, revenue of the PC division fell 9% from the prior quarter to 8.1 billion US dollars, made worse by memory shortages. Management reportedly expects worldwide PC unit sales to fall 12% in 2026 and about 10% in 2027, with the memory impact lasting through 2027. CFO David Zinsner said in the release that he sees the PC slowdown continuing at least through the first half of 2027.
For buyers: Intel names tight memory supply as one reason for weak PC demand. For RAM buyers this argues against a quick easing of prices, though that remains an assessment.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.6 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Sources: Intel (Business Wire), BigGo Finance
Altera unveils Agilex 27 FPGA family with LPDDR6 and PCIe 7.0, samples in 2027
On October 28, 2026 Altera introduced Agilex 27, the first family of its new Agilex 2X line. FPGAs are chips whose circuitry the customer programs, for example for networking and radio equipment. According to ServeTheHome the chips have memory controllers for DDR5, LPDDR4, LPDDR5X and LPDDR6, the next generation of low-power memory, and support PCIe 6.0 and 7.0. The Quartus Prime 26.3 development software is already available, SiliconANGLE reports, while Altera expects engineering samples in the second half of 2027. PC Games Hardware sees this as a first firm customer base for LPDDR6 memory makers.
For buyers: The announcement has no near-term impact for PC buyers. According to PC Games Hardware, a successor to DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 in desktop PCs is not yet in sight.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.6 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Sources: ServeTheHome, SiliconANGLE, PC Games Hardware
TrendForce: shortage of capacitors for CPU boards and DDR5 modules to last into mid-2027
AI inference, meaning running finished models, is driving demand for CPUs and therefore for DDR5 memory, according to TrendForce. Motherboards and memory modules need many high-capacitance MLCCs, which are small ceramic capacitors. TrendForce expects the shortage of high-end MLCCs to last through the first half of 2027, with the tightest supply in the first and second quarters of 2027. Price talks for the first quarter of 2027 begin in November 2026, and TrendForce says Japanese makers look likely to raise prices. Murata does not expect new capacity before 2028.
For buyers: TrendForce writes that AI is taking a growing share of production and pushing up the cost of memory and other components. Buyers of DDR5 modules should therefore expect little relief from this side until mid-2027.
TB index DDR5 UDIMM 15.62 $/GB▲ 0.8 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: TrendForce
Nvidia lowers Vera Rubin HBM4 bandwidth to 19.2 TB/s per GPU
Nvidia has lowered the memory bandwidth figures of its Vera Rubin AI platform and has now commented on the change, PC Games Hardware reports. HBM4 is stacked memory placed right next to the compute chip. Nvidia now lists 19.2 instead of 22 TB/s per Rubin GPU and 1,400 instead of 1,580 TB/s for the Vera Rubin NVL72 rack; memory capacity per GPU is unchanged. The earlier numbers were preliminary architectural targets from development, the new ones reflect volume production, according to Nvidia. The company gives no technical reason, while industry observers in South Korea suspect, according to Digitimes, that the lower requirements are meant to ease HBM4 supply.
For buyers: According to that view, lower HBM4 requirements could make supply easier. The source does not say whether this will affect memory prices for consumers.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: PC Games Hardware
Seagate plans 55 TB Mozaic hard drives, customer qualification from late 2027
Seagate plans to start customer qualification of its 3rd generation Mozaic hard drives with up to 55 TB on 10 platters towards the end of 2027, Blocks & Files reports from the earnings call. Mozaic uses HAMR (heat assisted magnetic recording). Seagate expects HAMR to make up roughly 50 % of its nearline exabyte shipments, the high capacity drives for data centers, by the end of 2026, with about half of that being Mozaic 4 with up to 44 TB. In the lab Seagate has demonstrated 8 TB per platter. Nearline capacity supply is expected to grow by about 25 % a year on a compound basis.
For buyers: According to Blocks & Files, each HAMR transition lowers manufacturing cost per bit. The source does not say when 44 or 55 TB models will reach consumer retail.
TB index HDD Internal 3.5" 36.25 $/TB▼ 0.5 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Blocks & Files
GitHub added 160 petabytes of storage and 4 million CPU cores in 2026
GitHub has added 4 million CPU cores and 160 petabytes of storage this year, ComputerBase reports from the GitHub Universe conference in San Francisco. 1 petabyte equals 1,000 TB. According to the report, the reason is the sharp rise in activity from AI assisted coding: in September 2026 the platform counted 7.4 billion commits (saved code changes), 5 times as many as a year earlier. GitHub plans to separate compute from data storage and expects up to 35 times higher overall throughput. The Microsoft subsidiary aims to complete its move to a multi region Azure infrastructure next year.
For buyers: The news shows how strongly AI services drive storage demand in data centers. The source does not say which drives GitHub uses.
TB index Hard drives (HDD) 35.00 $/TB▼ 0.8 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: ComputerBase
Report: CXMT to sell HBM3E despite yields of only 20 to 30%
China's largest memory maker CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies) plans to start selling HBM3E for AI systems soon, WinFuture reports, citing sources of the news agency Reuters. HBM3E is stacked high-bandwidth memory placed right next to AI chips. According to the report, yield, the share of usable chips, is only 20 to 30%, compared with about 70% at SK Hynix. Samples have reportedly gone to several Chinese companies, and limited volume production is set to start within 2 months.
For buyers: HBM3E is designed for use in AI chips. The report does not say whether another supplier will ease the memory market.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: WinFuture
Report: Apple to spend about $25 billion on NAND flash in 2026
Apple is likely to spend about 25 billion US dollars on NAND flash in 2026, up from 6 billion last year, PC Games Hardware reports, citing the Wall Street Journal and estimates by TechInsights. The volume purchased reportedly barely changed. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon signed longer-term contracts with Kioxia at higher prices this year. One gigabyte of flash cost about 5 US cents in 2023 and now costs more than 30 US cents, the report says.
For buyers: NAND flash goes into SSDs, memory cards and smartphones. The report shows large AI buyers driving flash purchase prices; it does not say how this affects retail SSD prices.
TB index SSDs 116.72 $/TB▼ 0.1 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: PC Games Hardware
Test: Teamgroup T-CREATE Expert DDR5-6000 CL30 keeps up with CL26 kit
PC Games Hardware has tested Teamgroup's T-CREATE Expert kit with 2 x 16 GiB DDR5-6000 and timings of 30-36-36-76 at 1.35 volts. Timings are the memory's wait times in clock cycles. The test sample uses SK Hynix A-dies, but Teamgroup does not guarantee these chips for every module in the series. In games, a G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB with CL26 was only 0.31% ahead on average and about 2.1% ahead in the rare lowest frame rates (P0.2). The test points to tRAS as one explanation: it is 76 on the T-CREATE and 96 on the comparison kits.
For buyers: According to the test, CAS latency alone says little about a DDR5 kit's performance. When comparing kits, it pays to look at all timings.
TB index DDR5 UDIMM 15.62 $/GB▲ 0.8 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: PC Games Hardware
FADU shows SSD with its own file system, samples not until Q3 2027
South Korean controller designer FADU has shown an SSD at the OCP Global Summit that understands files rather than just blocks, TechRadar reports. The File-Semantic SSD (FS-SSD) handles file lookup, permission checks and file-to-flash mapping in the firmware of its 6th generation controller, so GPUs and network cards can reach files without the host CPU. In FADU's own preliminary test, throughput held at about 460,000 operations per second as the server was cut from 16 cores to 1. A standard Linux server fell from about 150,000 to 40,000 in the same test. FADU expects partner samples in Q3 2027.
For buyers: The FS-SSD targets AI data centers and arrives as samples in 2027 at the earliest. For SSDs in your own PC, the announcement changes nothing for now.
TB index SSDs 116.72 $/TB▼ 0.1 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: TechRadar
Microsoft shows Maia 300 AI accelerator with 288 GB of HBM4
At OCP Summit 2026 Microsoft showed its in-house Maia 300 AI accelerator, ServeTheHome reports. The chip uses 8 stacks of HBM4, stacked memory placed right next to the processor, for a total of 288 GB and 18 TB/s of memory bandwidth. According to the report, each accelerator draws 950 W and is liquid cooled. Microsoft says 96 Maia chips fit into one rack, with 4 per tray. The SSDs, CPU and network cards in each tray are still cooled by fans.
For buyers: The Maia 300 adds another large buyer of HBM4. The report does not say whether demand for this kind of AI memory will affect prices of consumer RAM.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: ServeTheHome
Seagate HAMR SMR hard drives up to 36 TB now supported on Broadcom controllers
Broadcom has added 2 Seagate SMR hard drives to its approved vendor list for the eHBA 9600 host bus adapters, StorageReview reports. SMR (shingled magnetic recording) partly overlaps tracks to raise capacity, but it needs suitable controllers and software. The list names the Exos M with 32 TB (ST32000NM001F) and 36 TB (ST36000NM001M), both SATA drives using HAMR (heat assisted magnetic recording). Microsoft Azure has qualified the combination for its data centers. According to StorageReview, the same list now also includes 17 SMR models of the Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC690.
For buyers: The approval targets companies running servers. In a StorageReview test, Windows did not detect a similar Seagate SMR drive at all, and Seagate has not published prices for the new models, according to StorageReview.
TB index HDD Internal 3.5" 36.25 $/TB▼ 0.3 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: StorageReview
Review: Samsung's first USB4 SSD P9 reads at 4,048 MB/s and stays cool
StorageReview has tested the Portable SSD P9, Samsung's first external SSD with USB4. Samsung rates it at 4,000 MB/s read and 3,800 MB/s write, and the 2 TB test unit reached 4,048 and 3,769 MB/s, reading twice as fast as the older T9. The P9 comes in 1, 2, 4 and 8 TB. Its metal enclosure peaked at 40 °C in testing, while the USB4 drives from SanDisk and LaCie and the Lexar ES5 reached 60 to 70 °C. The weak spot is small random writes: the P9 copied 50,000 small files at 84 MB/s, the T9 at 180 MB/s.
For buyers: According to StorageReview, the P9 only reaches its speed on a computer with a USB4 port. Buyers who mostly copy many small files saw faster results from other drives in the test.
TB index SSD External SSD 127.49 $/TB▲ 0.7 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: StorageReview
Report: Samsung cuts Galaxy A phone output by about 20 % due to high memory prices
According to a report by the South Korean newspaper ETNews, Samsung is cutting production of its midrange Galaxy A smartphones by about 20 % in the fourth quarter, heise online reports. The report cites rising memory prices and difficulties sourcing materials. On an annual basis this would mean about 10 million fewer devices, and Samsung reportedly plans a further cut of more than 10 % for 2027. According to the research firm Omdia, flash memory and DRAM (working memory) made up almost 60 % of the bill of materials of smartphones under 400 US dollars in the first quarter of 2026, up from about 32 % in the third quarter of 2025.
For buyers: The figures show how much memory now drives the cost of finished devices. For buyers of RAM and SSDs, the report points away from early relief, though it says nothing about retail prices.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: heise online
SK hynix moves more than half of its NAND output in Korea to 321 layers
Alongside its quarterly results, SK hynix also outlined its expansion plans, Blocks & Files reports. In the fourth quarter, 321 layer NAND flash is set to make up more than half of its production in South Korea, so it can supply more fast, high capacity server SSDs (eSSD). The M15X fab is to run at full capacity by the end of the year to build more HBM4, the stacked memory used by AI accelerators. In 2027 the first phase of the Yongin fab is due to enter full operation and raise output. HBM4 is expected to overtake HBM3E in volume and revenue next quarter.
For buyers: According to SK hynix, the extra capacity mainly targets server SSDs and AI memory. The company does not say whether consumer SSDs and RAM will benefit.
TB index SSDs 116.72 $/TB▲ 0.6 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Blocks & Files
Seagate revenue up 61 %, data center hard drive supply largely allocated through 2028
According to StorageNewsletter, Seagate posted revenue of 4.23 billion US dollars in the first quarter of its fiscal year 2027, which ended on October 2, 2026, up 61 % year over year. About 81 % of that, 3.4 billion US dollars, came from the data center business. The company shipped 220 exabytes of storage capacity, 198 exabytes of it as nearline drives, the high capacity disks built for constant use in data centers. Seagate says most of this nearline capacity is already allocated to customers through the end of 2028, with some cloud agreements running to 2030. The Mozaic 4 family with HAMR (heat assisted magnetic recording) and up to 44 TB is ramping at large cloud providers.
For buyers: With data center capacity committed for years, there may be little room left for retail supply. Seagate does not say whether or when this will affect prices of large hard drives for consumers.
TB index HDD Internal 3.5" 36.25 $/TB▼ 0.3 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: StorageNewsletter
Report: Fujifilm plans to quintuple magnetic tape production by 2028
Fujifilm plans to increase its magnetic tape production capacity fivefold, according to a report by Japanese business daily Nikkei covered by ComputerBase. The company has earmarked about 10 billion yen, roughly 57 million euros, through fiscal year 2028, mostly for its plant in Odawara near Tokyo. The focus is on tapes with up to 100 TB for archiving and backup. According to the report, it would be the company's largest investment in tape production in about 20 years. The report names growing storage demand from artificial intelligence as the reason.
For buyers: The added production is aimed mainly at data centers and archives. Nikkei says storage costs on tape can drop to a quarter of those on hard drives, but any effect on prices for buyers of LTO tapes is still open.
TB index Tape (LTO) 10.64 $/TB▲ 1.5 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: ComputerBase
Report: Solidigm in talks over a 45 billion US dollar NAND fab in the US
SK hynix subsidiary Solidigm is in talks with the US Commerce Department about a new NAND flash fab in the US worth 45 billion US dollars, Tom's Hardware reports, citing Bloomberg. In return, Solidigm reportedly wants permission to export equipment to its existing NAND plant in Dalian, China, so that the upgraded plant can help fund the US project. Bloomberg relies on unnamed sources. According to the report, total US investment could eventually reach 100 billion US dollars, with construction in New York pencilled in for 2027. Whether the department will agree is unclear.
For buyers: A new fab would only add NAND flash supply for SSDs years from now. Until a decision is made, no effect on SSD prices is foreseeable.
TB index SSD Internal SSD (2.5" SATA) 123.73 $/TB▲ 2.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Tom's Hardware
SK hynix expects memory shortage until 2030 and fewer PCs and smartphones sold
SK hynix reported its third quarter results on October 28 and, according to The Register, expects demand for memory chips to exceed supply through 2030. The company cites the difficulty of leading edge processes and the long time needed to build new fabs. Revenue rose to 104.6 trillion won (78.1 billion US dollars), up 328 % year over year, and operating profit reached 87.68 trillion won. 14 large customers hold long term agreements under which they will together buy more than half of its output in 2027 and 2028. Chief financial officer Kim Woo-hyun expects shipments of PCs and mobile devices to decline because of rising memory prices and supply shortages.
For buyers: SK hynix expects demand to outpace supply for years, and more than half of its 2027 and 2028 output is already committed to large customers. For buyers of RAM, the manufacturer's outlook points toward prices staying high, though it is no guarantee.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: The Register
Report: Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent seek 10 year DRAM supply deals with Samsung
Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent are seeking memory supply agreements with Samsung running 10 years, according to the Korean newspaper Maeil Business Newspaper, as reported by ComputerBase. The deals concern DDR and LPDDR DRAM for servers, the memory used in the companies' AI data centers. Such long term agreements (LTA) usually run 3 to 5 years. According to the report, large US companies have already signed long term agreements with Micron, Samsung and SK hynix. The agreements have not been confirmed so far.
For buyers: If such deals go ahead, another share of DRAM output would be committed for years. The report does not say whether or when this would affect retail RAM prices.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.4 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: ComputerBase
SK hynix halts Solidigm IPO, plans for a US NAND fab remain
SK hynix announced on October 23 that it has stopped reviewing an initial public offering (IPO) of its SSD subsidiary Solidigm. According to Blocks & Files and Tom's Hardware, the company cited financial market conditions and falling semiconductor share prices. The money was meant to help finance a new fab in the US for NAND flash, the memory used in SSDs. SK hynix said the need to invest in Solidigm remains and that other funding options will continue to be explored. According to Tom's Hardware, SK hynix has not disclosed the fab's capacity, cost or schedule.
For buyers: An additional fab could increase the supply of NAND flash over time. As long as funding and timing remain open, any effect on SSD prices in the near term is not foreseeable.
TB index SSD Internal SSD (2.5" SATA) 123.73 $/TB▲ 2.3 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Sources: Blocks & Files, Tom's Hardware
Micron skips NAND generation G10 and plans G11 with more than 400 layers
At a technology webinar for investors on October 21, Micron presented its next generation of NAND flash, the memory used in SSDs, skipping the expected G10 generation. According to Blocks & Files and ComputerBase, the new G11 will have more than 400 layers, compared with 276 for the current G9. Compared with G9, Micron promises roughly twice the bit density, meaning twice as much data per chip area, and an interface up to 50 % faster. Volume production is set to start in the second half of 2027, and Micron CTO Scott DeBoer said more details will follow next year.
For buyers: More data per chip area can make SSDs cheaper to produce over time. Micron does not say whether or when this will show up in SSD prices, and according to Micron G11 will not be in volume production before the second half of 2027.
TB index SSD M.2 NVMe 133.85 $/TB▲ 0.9 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Sources: Blocks & Files, ComputerBase
TrendForce expects less PC memory supply in 2027
Market research firm TrendForce expects PC DRAM supply to shrink in 2027, according to its latest DRAM market report. The report sees larger new capacity from new and expanded fabs only from 2029. According to German site PC Games Hardware, large PC makers have secured part of the output with long-term contracts, with more than 70 % of Samsung's PC DRAM production reportedly booked. Some system integrators report prices 15 % higher at the start of Q4.
For buyers: According to PC Games Hardware, the shortage hits the open market hardest, where brands buy the chips for consumer memory modules. TrendForce does not expect supply to ease in 2027.
TB index DDR5 UDIMM 15.62 $/GB▲ 1.7 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: PC Games Hardware
Micron: one-day strike at its Taoyuan fab in Taiwan
Micron employees in Taoyuan, Taiwan, are striking for one day on October 22, Tom's Hardware reports, citing Reuters. The union wants concrete terms for the 2026 bonus and a transparent formula for sharing future profits. Micron makes DDR5, LPDDR and HBM for AI accelerators in Taiwan. Workers at the larger Taichung site have not authorized a strike so far.
For buyers: Tom's Hardware expects the one-day strike to cut output only slightly. The key question is whether the Taichung site joins.
TB index RAM 5.98 $/GB▼ 0.6 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Tom's Hardware
Samsung and SK hynix upgrade their flash fabs in China
Samsung plans to switch its fab in Xi'an, China, to 286-layer flash memory by the end of the year, Tom's Hardware reports, citing Reuters and 4 people familiar with the plans. The fab makes about 40 % of Samsung's NAND output and currently produces chips with around 200 layers. SK hynix's Dalian fab is set to move from 192 to 240 or more layers. Because of US export controls from 2022, both companies need a license to install US-made equipment in China.
For buyers: NAND flash is in every SSD. More layers mean more storage per chip, but the report does not say how much of it will reach consumer SSDs.
TB index SSD M.2 NVMe 133.85 $/TB▲ 1.3 % since this story(as of Nov 1, 2026, 1:17 AM UTC, Source: amazon.com)
Source: Tom's Hardware