内存价格堪比黄金，这锅到底该谁背？

Core Viewpoint - The prices of solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory chips have surged dramatically, driven primarily by increased demand from the AI industry, leading to a significant imbalance between supply and demand [12][24]. Price Trends - A 2TB SSD that was priced at 478 yuan two years ago has now increased to 1199 yuan, indicating a substantial price hike [2][17]. - The price of 32GB DDR5 memory has risen from around 700 yuan in mid-September to approximately 1300-1500 yuan, reflecting an increase of over 100% in just two months [6][8]. Market Dynamics - Major storage manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix have confirmed that prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory are expected to rise by up to 30% by Q4 2025 [8][21]. - The current market is characterized by extreme volatility, with prices changing rapidly, sometimes within a single day [10]. AI Impact - The demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has surged due to the needs of AI model training, which requires significantly more memory than traditional servers [13][15]. - The shift in focus from DDR4 and DDR5 to HBM by major manufacturers has led to a reduction in the production of consumer-grade memory, further driving up prices [15][24]. Consumer Electronics - The price differences in smartphones have widened significantly due to rising storage costs, with the price gap between different memory configurations increasing from around 300 yuan to as much as 900 yuan [19][20]. - Xiaomi executives have acknowledged the unsustainable rise in storage costs, indicating that consumers may have to accept these higher prices [20]. Future Outlook - Analysts predict that the price increases driven by AI demand will continue at least until 2026, with no immediate relief in sight for consumers [21][22]. - The current situation is distinct from previous price surges, as it is fundamentally driven by technological advancements in AI rather than mere market manipulation [24].