Major PC makers are turning to Chinese chip manufacturer CXMT faced with a global memory shortage.
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.
The impact on consumer electronics is significant: PC components are now so expensive that some manufacturers are recycling outdated ones in new machines.
Acer, Asus, and HP have started to use limited numbers of Chinese chips in their notebook computers, Nikkei reported, although they are being careful. Buying too much might anger their usual suppliers like SK Hynix and Samsung, and the US government has designated CXMT as linked to the Chinese military.
