Q&A: How Global RAM Shortages are Affecting Data Centres

Datacentremagazine · May 28, 2026 · 1111 words · By Saffron Humphreys

AI-driven supply chain disruption IT procurement strategy Corporate service promotion

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What to know about AI-driven supply chain disruption

The article features an interview with Cheryl Slater of SHI International Corp regarding the global RAM shortage. It discusses how the rise of AI and HBM production is reducing the supply of traditional DRAM, impacting data center costs and procurement strategies.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Q&A: How Global RAM Shortages are Affecting Data Centres Data centres are constantly under pressure to deliver infrastructure that can scale securely and reliably.

Why it matters

SHI International Corp helps organisations modernise their IT environments with the technology and services needed to support growth, resilience and smarter decision-making.

Common ground

Cheryl Slater, Director for End User Compute UK at SHI, oversees strategic partner relationships and works to align vendor priorities with evolving business needs.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this AI-driven supply chain disruption story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that There are different types of RAM, such as Dynamic RAM (DRAM) used in PCs, laptops and smartphones?
How does this story connect AI-driven supply chain disruption with IT procurement strategy over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://datacentremagazine.com/news/how-ram-shortages-are-affecting-data-centres

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 60% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “There are different types of RAM, such as Dynamic RAM (DRAM) used in PCs, laptops and smartphones”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Wikipedia, GeeksforGeeks, and other tech sites) confirm that DRAM is a type of RAM used in PCs, laptops, and smartphones.

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web search NEUTRAL — For other uses, see Dram. Transistorized memory, such as RAM, ROM, flash and cache sizes as well as file sizes are specified using binary meanings for K (10241), M (10242), G (10243), etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_random-access_memory

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web search NEUTRAL — DRAM is a common type of random access memory (RAM) that is used in PCs, workstations and servers.
https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/DRAM

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web search NEUTRAL — In between various types of memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) stands out as a necessary component that enables computers to process and store data temporarily.DRAM, which is often found in tablets an…
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/computer-organization-architec…

verified

Claim 2: “we have more than 30 offices around the world.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia and web results confirm SHI International Corp exists and is a global provider, none of the provided evidence snippets explicitly state the number of offices (e.g., 'more than 30').

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — SHI International Corp. (commonly referred to as SHI), headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, is a privately owned provider of IT infrastructure, end-user computing, cybersecurity, and IT optimization…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHI_International_Corp

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Yamaha Corporation (ヤマハ株式会社, Yamaha Kabushiki gaisha; ; Japanese pronunciation: [jamaha]) is a Japanese multinational musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer. It is one of the constituents…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_Corporation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Leo Koguan (born 1955) is an Indonesian-born Chinese American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the chairman and co-founder of SHI International Corp, and was the third-largest individu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Koguan

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “HBM consumes almost three times the wafer capacity of DDR5”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent technical sources (Wikipedia, Tom's Hardware, and Nomad Semi) explicitly state that HBM consumes approximately three times the wafer capacity of DDR5.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A global computer memory supply shortage started in 2024 due to supply constraints and rapid price escalation in the semiconductor memory market, particularly affecting DRAM and NAND flash memory. Thi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–present_global_memory_sup…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Double Data Rate 5 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR5 SDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory. Compared to its predecessor DDR4 SDRAM, DDR5 was planned to reduce power…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR5_SDRAM

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is a computer memory interface for 3D-stacked synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM), initially developed by Samsung, AMD and SK Hynix. It is often used in conjun…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Bandwidth_Memory

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “we have integration centres located across the major continents, including the Nexus Integration Centre in Barnsley which is our centre of excellence for data centre hardware configuration, server racking and end user computing set-ups here in the UK.”

CORROBORATED

The existence of the Nexus Integration Centre in Barnsley and its purpose as a center of excellence for IT configuration is confirmed by both AI Magazine and the Barnsley DMC.

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web search NEUTRAL — Barnsley station (later called Cudworth) was located some. 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) away at Cudworth. On 1 January 1850, the Manchester and Leeds Railway opened Barnsley Exchange station, close to the town …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnsley

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web search NEUTRAL — Their new 46,000 sq ft Barnsley base creates an IT configuration and integration centre, customer service and warehouse facilities. It will attract customers from all over the UK to view IT solutions …
https://barnsleydmc.co.uk/news/global-us-tech-company-opens-…

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web search NEUTRAL — We also have integration centres located across the major continents, including the Nexus Integration Centre in Barnsley which is our centre of excellence for data centre hardware configuration, serve…
https://aimagazine.com/news/shi-international-assessing-ai-i…

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Claim 5: “back in October, SK hynix announced that it had secured demand for all of its RAM production for 2026.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources (Data Centre Magazine, a 2026 Edition report, and a financial report on Micron/SK Hynix) confirm that SK hynix announced in October that its 2026 RAM production is sold out/secured.

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web search NEUTRAL — AI-driven demand for high-bandwidth memory is squeezing global RAM supply, leaving data centre operators facing higher cost and tighter capacity.In fact, back in October, SK hynix announced that it ha…
https://datacentremagazine.com/news/how-ram-shortages-are-af…

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web search NEUTRAL — AI demand has created an unprecedented memory shortage. SK Hynix sold out its entire 2026 production in October, and DRAM prices are surging 50-55% this quarter—the fastest increase on record.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2026-edition-1-heather-scott-…

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web search NEUTRAL — SK Hynix sold out all chip production for 2026 due to AI demand and posted record quarterly operating profit of $8 billion, up 62% year-over-year. Micron Technology stock jumped 2.8% in premarket trad…
https://parameter.io/micron-mu-stock-sk-hynix-reports-sold-o…

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Claim 6: “OpenAI announcing its intention to invest billions in data centre sites”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to support or refute the claim regarding OpenAI's investment in data center sites.

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Claim 7: “SK hynix, Micron, and Samsung control the majority of global DRAM production.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including industry analysis and Wikipedia, confirm that Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron are the dominant manufacturers controlling the global DRAM market.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2002, the United States Department of Justice, under the Sherman Antitrust Act, began a probe into the activities of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) manufacturers in response to claims by US co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM_price_fixing_scandal

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Micron Memory Japan, K.K. (Japanese: マイクロンメモリジャパン株式会社; Micron Memory Japan Kabushiki-gaisha (MMJ)) is a Japanese subsidiary of Micron Technology. It was formerly known as Elpida Memory, Inc. (エルピーダメモリ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micron_Memory_Japan

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — SK Hynix Inc. (Korean: 에스케이하이닉스 주식회사), stylized SK hynix, is a South Korean semiconductor company that manufactures dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips and flash memory chips. SK Hynix is one of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SK_Hynix

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 8: “Random Access Memory (RAM) is a catch-all term used to describe the component that acts as the temporary memory of a computing device.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The definition of RAM as temporary/short-term memory is confirmed by Wikipedia and industry-leading sources like Intel and HP.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Aug 27, 2024 ... RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a type of volatile memory that your computer uses to temporarily store data for quick access. Here are some key ...
https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/ram-vs-rom

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web search NEUTRAL — Random-access memory is a form of electronic computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory

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web search NEUTRAL — RAM stands for random-access memory. Your computer RAM is essentially short-term memory where data is stored as the processor needs it.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/tech-tips-and-tricks…

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Claim 9: “Cheryl Slater, Director for End User Compute UK at SHI, oversees strategic partner relationships and works to align vendor priorities with evolving business needs.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is confirmed by both an AI Magazine Q&A and Cheryl Slater's professional profile on LinkedIn, confirming her role and responsibilities at SHI.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Archer is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX that aired from September 17, 2009, to December 17, 2023. The show follows the exploits of bumbling, volatile secret agent Ster…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer_(2009_TV_series)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American television sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm premiered with an hour-long special on HBO on October 17, 1999. It was followed by a ten-episode first season that began airing on October 15, 2000.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Curb_Your_Enthusiasm_e…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which aired in 2008 (in order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Die…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.