PC Vendors "Fight" for CXMT Memory Supply, Smaller OEMs Struggle

Major PC OEMs are beginning to secure deals with Chinese memory maker CXMT, as the supply chain has been depleted of available DRAM from the big three memory makers—SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron. According to a report from DigiTimes, CXMT's memory capacity has been booked through the end of 2027, leaving little room for new customers to source DRAM from China's largest memory producer. The report notes that large PC vendors such as Dell, HP, and Apple are the only ones that managed to receive allocations, while smaller brands with less presence in the desktop and laptop market have been left with nearly no allocation.

An important aspect of this situation is the negotiation leverage that larger PC vendors have. As they command more volume than smaller companies, Dell, HP, and Apple are willing to sign bigger contracts with CXMT to secure a larger DRAM supply, even at prices higher than historical levels. For CXMT, this is a positive indication that capacity expansion is well-received and a signal to continue building new fabs. DigiTimes also notes that the United States government has not yet made a firm decision on whether to keep CXMT on the barred entity list, so PC OEMs are taking advantage of the opportunity to stockpile any available DRAM. Future policy changes might impact this, but for now, long-term supply agreements are being made to secure any DDR5/LPDDR5X memory possible.
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