RAM shortage may drive up laptop prices – what does this mean for music producers?Amid a global shortage in DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), laptops are likely to become more expensive, market researcher TrendForce warns, and existing spec sheets may end up being downgraded in order to keep supply chains consistent.
In a new analysis, TrendForce says the DRAM shortage and concurrent high demand is pushing prices way up, and could soon mean the average mid-range laptop will have just 8GB of RAM, as opposed to the higher specs currently found on mid-priced machines. 
It says computers with 16, 32 or 64GB of RAM will continue to be available, but at higher prices amid the period of high demand.

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Why is this important for music producers? Depending on the demands of your workflow, you’ll likely be running a significant number of tracks with numerous plugins and virtual instruments all at once. 
RAM is essentially your machine’s short-term memory which allows its CPU to access data quickly. Put simply, the more RAM your machine has, the faster and more smoothly it will carry out tasks. Being a creative endeavour, this is all important for music production; we all know how frustrating it can be to have technological limitations interrupt our creative flow.
8GB of RAM is generally recommended as the minimum for music production. Beginners or less advanced producers may find it’s all they need to put together beats, record instruments and put together their mixes, but producers working with more complex sessions may discover they run into performance issues.
So per TrendForce’s analysis, if you’re a producer looking to ensure your laptop doesn’t technologically inhibit your creative flow, you might soon find yourself paying more for models with 16GB of RAM and beyond.
“While prices may stay stable for now, medium- and long-term adjustments, such as lowering specifications or raising prices, are inevitable,” the company states. “TrendForce forecasts more significant price fluctuations in the PC market by the second quarter of 2026.
“TrendForce highlights that cutting down on specifications or postponing upgrades has become an essential cost-saving measure for smartphone and laptop manufacturers. This is especially true for DRAM, which makes up the largest portion of memory expenses.”
So if you’re loosely eyeing up a laptop upgrade, you might be better off making that purchase sooner rather than later.
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