Maingear’s opening shot at computer memory shortages: Provide your own memory

Getting a new PC may be harder than usual right now, and not just why Higher prices. Maingear, a builder of excellent custom computers, has come up with one way to get around the lack of RAM: bring your own computer.

On Tuesday, Maingear filed Bio Ram This is its attempt – and likely only its first – to deal with the ongoing supply problems with computer components caused by An exorbitant sum of money to support data center construction operations.

The program allows you to purchase a custom-built system with RAM that you ship to them. Then they install, optimize and test. Customer Service will consult with you in advance to ensure that the memory you have is suitable for your desired system configuration.

This only solves the problem for a small number of cases, but the goal is simply to reduce the purchasing bottleneck where possible. In other words, if you have access to DDR5 memory, you may be able to take advantage of it, even though it must be DDR5 memory.

This means, for example, if you want to use memory from your current computer, the system must be less than five years old because DDR5 first shipped in 2020. But you can’t assume it’s DDR5 because, even then, many High-end systems were still using DDR4. You probably can’t pull memory from an all-in-one system either, since many have memory soldered to the motherboard. Additionally, the DDR5 memory in an old system may be too slow to get optimal performance from a new system.

Wallace Santos, co-founder and CEO of Maingear, told reporters in a press conference earlier in the day that this is not a natural shortage. Memory manufacturers do not increase capacity Because of long-term concerns about demand. Even then, “we were told it would take a year and a half for them to ramp up their lines,” he said.

SK Hynix, one of the leading memory suppliers, It is expected that the crisis will continue until 2028.

In addition, computer manufacturers do not obtain memory modules directly from memory manufacturers. The RAM first goes to the packer, where it’s then converted into modules that you can plug into the motherboard, and the timeline then extends from there.

According to Santos, even packers are having difficulty obtaining supplies. In the past, a larger company, like Intel, would step in to help in some way, he explained. Now “new players with deep pockets are entering our space and committing to multi-year deals with memory suppliers.” This could, for example, lead companies to shift away from providing consumer supplies entirely, which is what Micron, another big player in the memory space, has done by… Close its brand of crucial memory.

Uncertainty is a big problem too. Santos doesn’t know where prices will eventually settle, and he’s not sure if they will fall to where they were before the bubble.

On the other hand, if data center financing deals go south (beyond just… Intimidate shareholders), those memory decades will disappear. This may be the best case scenario for buyers, at least, as it will flood the market and prices will fall. However, if it happened collectively, we might do so Problems greater than lack of memory.