Nvidia is reportedly signing multi-year deals to lock up memory chips, which is good for chipmakers like SK Hynix and Micron but bad for anyone buying computers or building data centers.

• Nvidia has reportedly signed multi-year contracts with SK Hynix and Micron to secure HBM and DRAM supply for its AI chips.
• The memory shortage is pushing chip prices up and could slow down how fast AI data centers get built.
• New chip factories take years to build, so supply cannot catch up quickly.
• AMD expects memory prices to stay unsettled until 2028, and MSI has warned the crunch will hit ordinary consumers through 2026.
• Samsung and SK Hynix are said to be dropping one-year deals in favor of three-to-five-year contracts, giving them confidence to expand production.

Outlook: More long-term supply deals are likely as buyers scramble to lock in memory, with 2027 pricing only becoming clear late this year.