Micron addresses Crucial exit backlash: 'We are trying to help consumers around the world' — company warns that DRAM drought could last until at least 2028
For the first time since announcing its seismic decision to kill its consumer SSD and memory brand Crucial , Micron has addressed the notion that it is leaving consumers behind in a new interview. The company also warned that despite breaking ground on new memory fabs, we shouldn't expect to see meaningful output impacting memory supply until at least 2028.
Micron's push back against the criticism of its decision to shutter Crucial comes by way of a WCCFTech interview with Christopher Moore, Micron's VP of Marketing, Mobile and Client Business Unit. The outlet wasted no time pressing Moore in Micron's controversial, but not entirely unexpected, decision to shutter the Crucial brand late last year. In early December, the company said that it plans to wind down its consumer business by the end of next month (January), reallocating its output and time to enterprise -grade DRAM and SSDs for AI buildouts.
Moore was asked if memory suppliers were inclined towards catering to the AI sector, "leaving consumers behind" as a result. "Well, first I would want to try to help everybody understand that the perception may not be exactly correct, at least from our point of view," Moore said. He stated that while he would "never want to tell someone what to think or that they're wrong... our viewpoint is that we are trying to help consumers around the world." Moore then cited Micron's sizeable businesses in the client and mobile market. Moore hinted that Micron is still technically serving consumers by supplying LPDDR5 to OEMs like Dell and Asus for inclusion in laptops, amongst other things. While this is technically correct, the news will be of little comfort to the DIY community and enthusiasts facing colossal price increases.
While the report claims Micron is in contact with "every single PC brand out there", the company simply cannot afford to ignore AI demand.
Some hope on the horizon for PC builders and the consumer sector is increased DRAM capacity in the supply chain. Micron recently announced it would begin work on a $100 billion New York 'megafab' , where it plans to produce 40% of the company's overall DRAM output by the 2040s. Moore also noted its upcoming ID1 facility in Idaho, which is scheduled to come online in mid-2027. However, he warned that it will be 2028 before we see "real output, meaningful output," in its DRAM supply chain. Don't forget that Micron can't even keep up with current demand. Its CEO said in December that it can only meet half to two-thirds of demand , meaning that even the upcoming new capacity will initially go towards making up shortfalls for existing demand. As such, while 2028 might mark the first meaningful dent Micron makes in DRAM supply, it could be months more before consumers start to see any shift in pricing for PC builds.
Stephen is Tom's Hardware's News Editor with almost a decade of industry experience covering technology, having worked at TechRadar, iMore, and even Apple over the years. He has covered the world of consumer tech from nearly every angle, including supply chain rumors, patents, and litigation, and more. When he's not at work, he loves reading about history and playing video games.
