Micron RAM is Ditching Consumers in Favor of AI

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The already difficult situation with RAM availability for PC gamers has worsened. Micron, a major manufacturer, has announced it’s discontinuing its Crucial line of RAM and SSDs, shifting its focus to creating products for artificial intelligence and business customers. While Crucial won’t disappear overnight, Micron says this change will happen gradually over the next few months, meaning a popular choice for PC parts will eventually be unavailable.

PC gamers have been hit hard by a sudden shortage and price increase in RAM. OpenAI’s plans to grow its AI server network led RAM manufacturers to prioritize their projects, leaving less supply for consumers. Since October, the cost of both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM has dramatically increased – kits that used to cost less than $100 in most of 2025 have now roughly tripled in price.

Micron Kills Off Crucial Consumer Product Line After 29 Years

DDR5 RAM prices are still rising, and now Crucial, a well-known brand, will be leaving the consumer memory and storage market. Micron, Crucial’s parent company, announced it will stop making and selling Crucial RAM and SSDs in February 2026, ending a 29-year run. After that date, you won’t find Crucial products at stores like Amazon, Best Buy, or Newegg once current stock is sold. Micron will continue to honor warranties and provide support for existing Crucial products for now, but it’s uncertain how long that will continue.

Micron isn’t failing as a company, but it is changing its strategy. It will now concentrate on serving businesses and developing technologies for artificial intelligence, pointing to the increasing demand for AI in servers and data centers as the reason. While there’s been debate about AI’s role in gaming, Micron explained this shift will guarantee it can meet the growing need for components like RAM. The company also plans to minimize the impact on its workforce by offering current employees opportunities to move into new roles created by this change.

Crucial’s Sudden Demise Comes At The Worst Time For All Gamers

Micron, which also sells products under the Crucial brand, has stopped selling RAM and SSDs directly to consumers at a particularly difficult time – prices are already high and supplies are limited. This means gamers will have fewer choices when building or upgrading their PCs. This situation, combined with the existing RAM shortage, will affect all gamers, not just those on PCs. Meanwhile, Valve has confirmed that the upcoming Steam Machine, planned for release in 2026, won’t be sold at a discounted price, suggesting it could be more expensive than many gamers anticipate.

A shortage of RAM memory could lead Microsoft to raise Xbox console prices again, even after two increases in 2025. Industry sources suggest Microsoft didn’t anticipate this shortage, potentially leading to price hikes for the Xbox Series X/S around 2026. The PlayStation 5 isn’t expected to become more expensive soon, but the loss of Crucial as a component supplier will likely impact both the gaming and tech worlds.

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2025-12-04 21:35