Memory Chip Makers Surge Up to 85% as AI Orchestration Shifts Spending Beyond GPUs
Updated
Updated · CNBC · May 14
Memory Chip Makers Surge Up to 85% as AI Orchestration Shifts Spending Beyond GPUs
7 articles · Updated · CNBC · May 14
Micron has jumped 80%, SanDisk 52% and Intel 85% in the past month as investors rotate from Nvidia-led AI trades toward memory and CPU-linked chipmakers.
Morgan Stanley said “agentic” AI is increasing orchestration work, lifting the CPU-to-GPU mix and steering incremental infrastructure spending toward CPUs, networking and memory rather than reducing GPU demand.
Meta and AMD have echoed that shift: Meta said agentic AI requires more CPU and disclosed use of tens of millions of Amazon Graviton CPUs, while AMD tied CPUs to orchestration in a Reuters-reported $60 billion, five-year Meta deal.
Anthropic’s Mythos release also reinforced the thesis after researchers and cybersecurity firms said coordinated smaller public models could reproduce similar results, suggesting orchestration can boost capability without relying only on top-end GPUs.
The spillover is widening across data-center suppliers, with Morgan Stanley highlighting beneficiaries including Samsung, SK Hynix, Kioxia, KLA, Cadence and Taiwan’s Gold Circuit Electronics.
As CPUs challenge GPUs in the AI race, can NVIDIA's new chip disrupt the established server market?
Is advanced 'agent memory,' not just processing power, now the key to unlocking truly intelligent AI?
When AI can autonomously hack systems, how do we build governance to control these powerful digital agents?
2026 Memory Supercycle: AI Boom Drives 90% Price Spike and Reshapes Global Chip Supply
Overview
As of Q1 2026, the global memory chip market is facing an unprecedented crisis, with historic price surges across all segments. Memory prices have soared up to 90% since late 2025, and enterprise SSDs are seeing record quarterly increases. This crisis is driven by explosive demand from artificial intelligence applications, which require far more memory than anticipated. As a result, memory and NAND prices are expected to keep rising through 2027, with normalization unlikely before 2028. The shortage is impacting everything from consumer electronics to enterprise technology, forcing companies to rethink supply strategies and brace for ongoing challenges.