HP warns: RAM now costs 35% of a PC’s total build
HP reported that RAM now represents 35 percent of a PC’s total cost during its latest earnings call. The company attributed this surge to high demand for AI infrastructure and constrained component supply. CFO Karen Parkhill presented the figures, noting a rapid escalation in memory expenses. HP confirmed it will implement price increases to offset these rising costs. The company also reported that 35 percent of its PC sales are now AI PCs.
CFO Karen Parkhill detailed the sharp increase in memory costs during the call. “We did share last quarter that memory and storage costs made up roughly 15 percent to 18 percent of our PC bill of materials, and we now currently estimate this to be roughly 35 percent for the year,” Parkhill stated. This figure represents a doubling or near-doubling of memory’s contribution to the overall system cost within a single quarter. The escalation reflects the intense demand for memory modules required by AI workloads. HP’s response to this financial pressure involves direct price adjustments for its products.
Samsung has also issued warnings regarding potential price increases for its components. The company cites AI-induced memory shortages as the primary driver for these anticipated hikes. This aligns with HP’s experience, suggesting a broader industry trend affecting major memory suppliers and PC manufacturers. The limited supply of memory chips is a direct consequence of the global buildout of AI infrastructure, which consumes vast amounts of high-bandwidth memory. This scarcity impacts the entire PC manufacturing ecosystem.
HP interim CEO Bruce Broussard addressed the market conditions, stating he “believe the market will rationalize over time.” Despite this long-term outlook, HP is taking immediate action to secure its supply chain. The company is actively working to add new suppliers to its roster. HP is also expanding its lower-cost sourcing strategies for memory components. These measures aim to mitigate the impact of current shortages and high prices on the company’s operations and profitability.
Consumer behavior regarding AI PCs presents conflicting data across the industry. HP executives noted that 35 percent of the company’s PC sales are now AI PCs, indicating significant demand in their specific market segment. Conversely, Dell has stated that consumers do not really care about AI PCs. This divergence highlights mixed signals within the PC market regarding the commercial viability and consumer interest in AI-integrated hardware. The differing perspectives from major manufacturers complicate the overall market assessment.
The broader component market faces similar supply pressures driven by AI demand. Companies like Micron have adjusted their business strategies in response. Micron abandoned its consumer brands to focus entirely on business-to-business (B2B) supply chains. This pivot prioritizes high-margin enterprise clients over the consumer market. Components like GPUs are also experiencing significant supply constraints. The intense demand for AI processing capabilities extends beyond memory to affect graphical processing units as well.