Key Highlights:
- ASUS is expected to be shipping its first few DRAM memory modules starting from Q2, 2026.
- ASUS currently lacks any fabrication plants for silicon, which might throw a wrench into its strategy.
- Assuming this all goes smoothly, ASUS could be poised to become the newest competitor in the market after Crucial’s withdrawal.
The AI arms race has culminated in some rather severe consequences for consumers and ordinary folk, especially with regards to memory sourcing. RAM and GPU prices have shot across the roof, and with the withdrawal of Crucial’s consumer lineup of memory, things look bleaker than ever.
However, there may be a silver lining, as multiple vendors seem to be ready to fill in the void left behind, with ASUS projected to enter the DRAM market sometime in 2026.
ASUS Might Be Set to Produce DDR5 RAM Starting In 2026
As per an exclusive from website Wccftech, ASUS might be ready to push forward with the production of DDR5 RAM for both desktops and laptops starting some time later next year.
This rumor was initially reported by a Persian tech outlet known as Sakhtafzarmag, who has held a (mostly) uncanny record of predicting big moves in the tech industry. As such, these claims do hold a substantial amount of weight to them, although none of this is really set in stone.
As per the report, ASUS is actively planning to set up its own dedicated section of DRAM production, sometime by the end of Q2 2026, assuming that memory and storage prices do not shift to normal values any time soon.
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With the AI boom in place, none of these hopeful moments may ever come to pass, and experts have already projected that the shortage might even extend into 2028. It would appear that ASUS is going to take matters into its own hands for now, and given the fact that they are one of the biggest PC and laptop manufacturers out there, it does make a whole lot of sense.
After all, ASUS does have the capability to break into the DRAM market for PCs (it most certainly has the bandwidth and resources to pull it off), and this move could bolster in some stable pricing for its many PC components.
It’s a win-win situation for both consumers and ASUS alike, and we really need someone to carry on the legacy of Micron/Crucial.
It Will Likely Not Be Enough
That being said, this is the most optimistic outcome of them all. The fact of the matter is that the void left behind by Crucial is simply too big for anyone else to fill at the moment, and ASUS’s acquisition of DRAM fabs remains questionable a best.
ASUS does not possess any dedicated, in-house production plant for silicon, and this is not likely to change within the next few years, any time soon. As such, ASUS is expected to be sourcing its DRAM modules from elsewhere, which could soon prove to be a bottleneck.
Without its own sources for DRAM, ASUS will run into supply issues sooner or later, and lose complete control over the pricing of these components. That being said though, ASUS cutting out the middleman for its own, sourced RAM sets is a net positive move overall, and it should help them acquire the parts to their PCs a little faster and more reliably.
With all that in mind, it is really hard to predict how exactly the AI boom (and bubble) will unfold in the coming years, so there’s not a whole lot of certainty here either.
