I heard the DRAM shortage has started affecting PC sales, and I would think that it would be hurting Intel’s bottom line.
I remember hearing Intel was looking for customers for its fabs, so I suppose they have some capacity sitting idle.
Why not use some of that capacity to make DRAM themselves? If they can make CPUs running at multi-gigahertz and contains DRAM controllers, surely DDR5 memory is not out of their reach?
Intel can use up their excess capacities, making currently high-priced DRAM for profit, gain goodwill for rescuing the PC market, which in turn will sell more Intel CPUs as well. Sounds like a win to me. What do you think?
Edit: I know nothing about semiconductor manufacturing so feel free to tell me how Intel’s process is not suitable for making DRAM, or any other reason why it would not be smart for them to do that.
It’s a valid enough question, and one that I’ve asked myself also.
Intel already produce some form of RAM to act as cache for their processors, I wonder how hard it would be (and how long) it would take for them to utilise excess fab space to churn out DRAM modules.
Even if they ended up mostly selling the final modules into the AI black-hole, it should still have a deflationary effect on pricing in the market as a whole.