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2023: Global RAM Market Size Reaches $110.57 Billion for the Year
At the end of 2023, the global DRAM RAM market reached $110.57 billion. In the future, a steady increase in demand for these products is expected. This is stated in a study by Fortune Business Insights, the results of which were published on September 9, 2024.
The authors of the report identify several main factors that provide stable positive dynamics. One of them is the COVID-19 pandemic, against the background of which the rapid development of distance learning and remote work platforms began. This provoked an additional need for personal computers and mobile devices, which in turn led to an increase in the supply of DRAM memory. In addition, in conditions of self-isolation, people around the world began to devote more time to home entertainment, including games and watching streaming video. It has also had a positive impact on the global DRAM industry as operators of large data centers have begun to actively build capacity.
Another driver of the market in question is the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence. Training large language models (LLMs) with a huge number of parameters or local use of AI tools requires high-performance computing complexes and systems equipped with specialized chips. Such platforms are equipped with a significant amount of memory. In addition, the transfer of workloads to the cloud continues, and therefore data center operators and hyperscalers are forced to actively purchase additional equipment and update existing ones.
In 2023, the DDR4 RAM segment dominated the market, the study said. At the same time, DDR5 products are expected to show the highest sales growth rates due to their improved characteristics, such as performance, power consumption and capacity.
By application, analysts segment the industry into gaming consoles, desktops and laptops, automotive equipment, smartphones, etc. In 2023, the largest sales fell on the smartphone sector: the characteristics of these devices are constantly improving, and the amount of RAM in them is increasing. However, the highest growth rates are shown by the automotive sector, which is facilitated by the rapid introduction of autopilot technologies, artificial intelligence systems and means of assisting the driver when driving.
Geographically, Asia Pacific generated the highest revenue in 2023 and will continue to witness the highest CAGR, according to the report's authors. This is due to the fact that Taiwan, China, South Korea and Japan account for about 72% of global semiconductor production. In addition, countries such as Taiwan and South Korea are major suppliers of DRAM memory and related products. In addition, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened the trend towards remote work in this region. North America and Europe are also experiencing substantial growth. In particular, Micron, Intel and other companies continue to develop production facilities in the United States.
At the end of 2024, industry revenue is estimated at $115.89 billion. Fortune Business Insights analysts believe that in the future, the CAGR (compound percentage CAGR) in the global DRAM RAM market will be 6.7%. As a result, by 2032, costs on a global scale will reach $193.97 billion.[1]
2022: Korean Suppliers Cut Market Share
2021
Top three control 94% of global RAM market
The three largest manufacturers of RAM (DRAM) in the world - Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron - together occupied 94% of the market in monetary terms at the end of 2021. Analysts at IC Insights released such data in May 2022.
For 30 years, the DRAM market has been characterized by periods of impressive growth and years of devastating decline, experts said. In 2019, the DRAM market fell 37%, and in 2021 it soared 42%. Regardless of the cause, growth and decline cycles have reduced the number of major DRAM providers from 20 in the mid-1990s to just six companies by 2021. South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix accounted for 71.3% of global DRAM sales in 2021.
Occupying 44% of the market, Samsung remained the world's largest DRAM supplier in 2021 with sales of almost $41.9 billion. After Samsung first began introducing extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) in March 2020, it began mass production of 14-nm DRAM based on this technology in October 2021. At the same time, it increased the number of EUV layers from two to five on its most advanced 14-nm process technology DDR5 DRAM.
In November 2021, Samsung said it had applied EUV technology to develop a low-power, dual-rate, 5X (LPDDR5X) 14-nm DRAM 16 Gb specifically for high-speed applications such as 5G networks, artificial intelligence, machine learning and other high-volume applications. The company claims that LPDDR5X DRAM memory provides processing speeds of up to 8.5 Gbps (1.3 times faster than existing 6.4 Gbps LPDDR5 devices) and consumes 20% less power than LPDDR5 memory.
The company also unveiled its first DRAM memory module supporting the new Compute Express Link (CXL) interconnect standard, and introduced the 2 GB GDDR6 and DDR4 automotive DRAM modules designed for autonomous electric vehicles and high-performance infotainment systems.
In second place and with a 28% DRAM market share in 2021 is SK Hynix, whose DRAM sales for 2021 increased by 39% and amounted to $26.6 billion. DRAM accounts for about 71% of the company's total semiconductor sales in 2021. Total DRAM sales were distributed as follows: server DRAM - 40%, mobile DRAM - 35%, DRAM for PC - 15%, consumer and graphics DRAM - 5% each.
In 2021, SK Hynix released what is claimed to be the industry's highest performing DRAM DDR5 with a data rate capable of transmitting 163 Full-HD movies per second. This device is called HBM3 because it is the third generation of high-bandwidth memory from Hynix.
Like Samsung, SK Hynix also began using EUV lithography to mass-produce 8GB of DRAM LPDDR4 based on the fourth generation 10-nm process technology called 1-alpha (1a nm).
In 2021, Micron became the third largest DRAM supplier with sales of $21.9 billion. Micron's DRAM sales rose 41% to account for 23% of the global market share. In general, DRAM accounted for about 73% of the company's total sales of integrated circuits for the calendar year in the amount of about $30.0 billion.
In 2021, Micron unveiled its 1a nm memory node, which was designed in part to support the data center's transition to DRAM DDR5 driven by new CPU platforms, which are expected to develop in late 2022 and gain momentum in 2023. Micron's DRAM 1a nm is also used in low-power communication devices, including 5G smartphones.
Micron produces 1a nm DRAM using technology that does not require EUV lithography. However, the company has already placed orders for EUV equipment and plans to switch to using this technology to produce DRAM using a 1-gamma (1g) nm node starting in 2024.[2]
The production of RAM has begun DDR5
At the end of April 2021, the new generation of RAM modules DDR5 entered mass production thanks to the Chinese manufacturers Netac and Jiahe Jinwei. Based on the module specifications, they will be compatible with the yet to be released 12th generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Alder Lake. Read more here.
2018
Market growth of 41.27% to $16.56 billion - TrendForce
The volume of the global market for RAM modules in 2018 reached $16.6 billion, an increase of 41.27% compared to 2017. Such figures were announced on August 21, 2019 in the analytical company DRAMeXchange.
According to experts, the average sales value of DRAM modules in 2018 increased by 10%, although in the second half of the year there was a decrease in prices. This did not prevent the market from showing steady growth.
As in previous years, the market for DRAM modules retains an oligopolistic structure, with dominant players continuing to strengthen their positions. In 2018, the five leading manufacturers of DRAM memory modules controlled almost 88% of revenue in the industry against 85% in 2017. At the same time, the total market share of the ten largest vendors has not changed and remained at the level of 93%.
The researchers note that the market situation confirms the existence of the Matthew effect, a phenomenon of uneven distribution of advantages in which the party already possessing them continues to accumulate and multiply them, while the other, initially limited, is deprived even more and, therefore, has a lower chance of further success. In other words, the rich becomes richer, and the poor ― poorer.
Market-leading Kingston Technology strengthened its position, increasing sales by nearly half and share from 68.53 per cent to 72.17 per cent. The company is helped by effective cost management and an increase in the supply of "RAM" and prices for it, thanks to which Kingston's DRAM revenue in 2018 was a record. Analysts note an improvement in the brand's performance in China, where its share updated its all-time high to 72% in 2018.
Smart Modular Technologies climbed to second place in the list of the largest manufacturers thanks to 74.79 percent growth in revenue from the implementation of DRAM modules. Ramaxel remained in third position with a share of 4.68% versus 5.07% for Smart Modular Technologies.
Adata Technology, which held on for a long time to second place in the world, lost to two applicants and went to fourth place. It is interesting to note that Adata threw all her strength at the release of memory. The memory market generates about 60% of its revenue, and in 2018 even helped set a personal best over the past 8 years. However, this did not help her cope with competitors. In the future, Adata sees for itself the search for benefits in the markets of gaming systems, industrial control, autopilots and electric vehicles.
The study also mentions such well-known brands in Russia as Transcend and Apacer. Transcend holds the seventh place in the overall standings, but due to falling prices and constant transformations in the company, its revenue from DRAM modules decreased by about 20% in 2018.
Transcend intends to continue to focus on industrial automation systems that deliver higher gross margin, as well as comprehensive solutions for updated devices Apple and strategic products such as. wearable electronics The company is changing priorities to scale back amid a volatile and high-risk spot market.
Apacer in 2018 ranked 8th among the largest manufacturers of RAM modules, but the company's revenue in the market decreased. At the same time, continued investment in industrial technology led to year-on-year profit growth despite the negative trend. As the company continues to develop solutions for the industrial Internet of Things, the company will be able to make a stable profit, analysts say.[3]
Samsung cuts memory production to curb market prices
In September 2018, it became known about the decision of Samsung Electronics to limit the production of memory chips in order to prevent a further drop in prices for them. Read more here.
2017: RAM module sales up 69% to $11.7 billion
In 2017, the global RAM module market reached $11.7 billion, an increase of 69% compared to the previous year. Such a strong rise was largely due to an increase in the average sales value of products by 50%, according to a DRAMeXchange study released on July 30, 2018.
DRAM products were intensively expensive due to the oligopolistic picture on the market, the lack of new production facilities and difficulties in mastering new technologies. In the segment of specialized memory, which, for example, is used in TVs, price increases were the highest.
Kingston Technology remains the largest manufacturer of RAM modules, whose share in 2017 exceeded 68.5%, although it decreased compared to a year ago (72.6%).
Experts attribute Kingston's dominance to increased supply of products and higher prices. DRAM revenue from the company jumped 60%, which was another record for the manufacturer. However, the growth rate was lower than that of small vendors and "middle peasants," largely due to the large product base of Kingston and the focus on DDR3 products. Modules based on DDR4 solutions are becoming more expensive, bringing more revenue to companies.
Adata Technology rose from fourth to second place in the overall standings due to a 146 percent increase (the highest result in the leading ten) in turnover in the market of RAM modules. Among the main advantages of Adata, researchers attributed large stocks of cheap products and flexible sales.
Under the Pod Kontrolem of the five leaders was about 85% of the global DRAM module market in 2017. The top 10 accounted for 93% of RAM sales. The weakest growth rate (+ 35.27%) was shown by Transcend Information due to a reorientation towards industrial products[4]
2008: 19.8% drop to $25.2 billion
The volume of the DRAM memory market in 2008 decreased by 19.8% to $25.2 billion compared to $31.5 billion in 2007. This was due to falling prices, reports purchasing.com with reference to the iSuppli study.
"Many suppliers have joined the race for market share by investing heavily in additional manufacturing equipment," comments Nam Hyung Kim, iSuppli's director and chief analyst storage systems for memory and chips. "Some companies hoped that others would withdraw from the race, but this did not happen." As a result, production volumes were increased significantly, and demand fell. DRAM memory is used in RAM.
Share of suppliers
- 30% is Samsung's share. From 2000 to 2008, the South Korean company invested about $27 billion in DRAM memory production, but this did not help increase its market share, which in 2008 remained at the level of 2000 (30%).
- Powerchip, Promos, Nanya and Qimonda all weave their tails. In order to withstand the economic downturn of 2008-2009, they needed the help of the government.
Market Outlook
It is expected that the market will find its feet in the second half of 2009. In 2008, supplier revenues will continue to decline and will decrease by another 4% according to the results of the year.
See also
- 3D NAND Flash Memory
- NVRAM Non Volatile Random Access Memory
- Ferroelectric RAM, FeRAM, FRAM
- ReRAM - Resistive Random Access Memory
- MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory)
Notes
- ↑ DRAM Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis
- ↑ Top Three Suppliers Held 94% of 2021 DRAM Marketshare
- ↑ Top Ten DRAM Module Suppliers by Revenue, Which Grew by Over 40% YoY in 2018, Says TrendForce
- ↑ [1]The Global Sales Revenue of DRAM Modules for 2017 Recorded a Significant Growth of 69% Thanks to Rising ASP, Says TrendForce
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