Memory articles

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Meta is using old DDR4 memory in DDR5-only AI servers to save on hardware costs

Cutting corners: Faced with rising memory costs, Meta says it is reusing old DDR4 RAM in its servers rather than buying new hardware. The company revealed this week that it is repurposing DDR4 memory from decommissioned servers into its new DDR5-only machines, using a custom CXL ASIC that avoids the compatibility issues and major latency penalties that typically come with mixing memory generations. The design reportedly cuts AI inference server count by up to 25% and reduces job-restart and fragmentation overhead by 33%.
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RAM prices expected to rise another 40-50% in Q3 2026, and then 30% more in Q4 as AI demand outpaces supply

Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have been sued for price-fixing before. Now it's happening again
Winners & losers: The memory shortages pushing consumer electronics prices higher are expected to worsen through the rest of this year and into 2027, with possible relief not arriving until 2028. While manufacturers and industry analysts largely attribute the spike to AI infrastructure demand, a new California lawsuit accuses the three companies that dominate DRAM and NAND production of conspiring to exploit those conditions and artificially inflate prices.