Memory: "Nvidia may skip new GPU release in stunning break" (NVDA)
It's a gameing chip rather than a $30K AI beauty but still, if Nvidia is being hampered in its quest for world domination, the memory/storage bottleneck is affecting everyone.
From TheStreet, February 6:
A subtle change raises new questions about Nvidia’s next move.
In a stunning blow for gamers, it seems that for the first time in decades, Nvidia (NVDA) might look to skip launching a fresh gaming GPU this year.
The tech behemoth is looking to forgo a 2026 gaming release due to the ongoing memory supply crunch, according to The Information.
Unsurprisingly, it’s the regular consumer who takes the hit here, as Nvidia prioritizes memory for its hot, in-demand AI accelerators.
To be fair, it was in the cards that the big AI giants would come first, not us regular consumers.
For some context, I covered memory giant Micron’s (MU) decision to exit its consumer memory business through Crucial, winding down Crucial-branded SSDs and memory modules.
On top of that, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra acknowledged that memory markets will likely “remain tight past 2026.”
Moreover, AI’s insatiable demand for memory is only going to grow, as Mehrotra touched on at Davos.
You
need more memory, you need faster memory. That's exactly what is
happening in AI accelerators. As large language models evolve, as
training and then inference go across the edge, you know, and continue
to broaden, they all need more memory.
This
isn’t exactly about waning demand for gaming, however. Rather, Nvidia
is reallocating resources toward AI chips, delivering far higher margins
and strategic value....
You will also see Apple and Samsung focus on high-end, higher margin phones as they try to squeeze every available penny of profit from those memory chips they are able to acquire.
