Asus has officially denied rumors that it plans to enter DRAM manufacturing, putting an end to widespread speculation that the Taiwanese tech giant would build its own memory fabrication facilities to combat the ongoing global memory shortage.
The Original Rumor
On December 25, 2025, Persian tech outlet SakhtAfzarMag reported that Asus was planning to establish DRAM production lines by Q2 2026. The report claimed the company would manufacture its own memory chips to secure stable supply for its ROG and TUF product lines amid the severe memory shortage affecting the PC industry.
The rumor spread quickly across tech media, with multiple outlets reporting on the possibility. The timing seemed plausible—DDR5 spot prices have quadrupled since mid-2024, and major memory brands like Micron (Crucial) are exiting the consumer market to focus on higher-margin AI and data center products.
Asus Issues Official Denial
On December 26, 2025, Asus issued a statement to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) explicitly denying the report.
"We have no plans to invest in a memory wafer fab. We will deepen our cooperative relationship with memory suppliers, and respond to market supply and demand conditions by adjusting product specifications and optimizing product life cycles."
In other words: Asus will work with existing suppliers and pass higher costs to customers rather than attempting to manufacture memory themselves.
Why the Rumor Was Never Plausible
Industry analysts and tech journalists quickly pointed out several fundamental issues with the rumor:
1. The Timeline Was Impossible
Building a DRAM fabrication facility from scratch requires a minimum of two years before production can begin—and that's only if a company already has memory IP and decades of manufacturing experience. Asus has neither.
A Q2 2026 timeline (less than 18 months from the rumor's publication) would be impossible for any company, let alone one with no experience in semiconductor fabrication.
2. Massive Capital Requirements
DRAM fabs require billions of dollars in investment. Only a handful of companies globally—Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, and Kioxia—operate profitable DRAM fabrication operations. The barriers to entry are extreme.
3. Economic Risk
By the time Asus could bring a fab online, the memory shortage may have resolved itself. Investing billions in manufacturing capacity for a temporary crisis would be financially reckless.
As Tom's Hardware noted:
"The problem with this reasoning is that shortages don't last forever, and for Asus to set up its own memory production lines would take an absolute minimum of two years."
4. Not Asus' Business Model
Asus primarily sells finished products to end users based on components purchased from other manufacturers. The company doesn't manufacture core components like memory ICs or processors—it integrates them into motherboards, laptops, and graphics cards.
What Asus Will Actually Do
Rather than manufacturing memory, Asus Co-CEO Samson Hu told Commercial Times in mid-December 2025 that the company will pass rising memory costs directly to customers. He indicated memory prices would likely remain elevated through the first half of 2026.
Asus joins Dell, Lenovo, and Framework in raising PC prices to absorb DRAM cost increases. Dell has announced price hikes up to 20-30%, specifically citing memory costs "out of their control."
The Memory Crisis Context
The current DRAM shortage stems from unprecedented AI demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in data centers. Companies developing AI infrastructure are consuming massive quantities of specialized memory, leaving less production capacity for traditional PC DDR5.
Current Market Conditions:
- DDR5 spot prices have quadrupled since mid-2024
- Contract prices increased over 100% since September 2025
- DDR4 prices jumped 150-200% in the same period
- Some Japanese retailers have stopped taking desktop PC orders until 2026 due to inability to secure memory
Industry projections for when the shortage might ease range from mid-2026 to 2028 or later. SK Hynix has warned the crisis could last until 2028.
Controversially, existing memory manufacturers (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron) are not rushing to expand production capacity, instead enjoying unusually high profit margins in a market typically treated as a commodity.
Could Asus Change Its Mind?
While Asus' denial was explicit, NotebookCheck noted:
"Asus representatives claim the Taiwanese brand has no intention of investing in a RAM production line. This does not mean the company won't do so, though. As is often the case with rumors (and with early stages of striking a deal), most businesses prefer to be safe rather than sorry."
However, the economic and technical realities make it highly unlikely Asus would reverse course. The company lacks the expertise, capital structure, and timeline to meaningfully impact the current crisis through in-house manufacturing.
What the Rumor Probably Confused
Tom's Hardware suggested the rumor may have confused memory modules with memory ICs:
"If the rumor was supposed to be 'Asus branded memory kits', that would have been perfectly believable. Gigabyte/Aorus already does that and there's no way Asus wouldn't want a slice of that pie selling ROG Strix Sticks."
Asus already sells ROG-branded peripherals and components. Selling branded memory modules (assembled from chips purchased from Samsung/SK Hynix/Micron) would be a natural product line extension—but that's fundamentally different from manufacturing the memory chips themselves.
What This Means for PC Builders
Asus' decision to pass costs to customers and work within existing supply chains is the rational response. Building a fab would be a multi-billion dollar gamble with a timeline that wouldn't address the current crisis and unclear long-term economics.
For PC builders and consumers, this means the pain continues: higher prices, limited availability, and no relief until existing manufacturers choose to expand capacity or AI demand subsides.
If you're planning a build, expect:
- Elevated RAM prices through at least H1 2026
- PC price increases from all major manufacturers
- No quick fix from alternative manufacturers entering the market
- Continued supply constraints and potential product shortages
Sources: Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA), Taiwan News, Commercial Times, Tom's Hardware, NotebookCheck, XDA Developers, Wccftech, Red94, Japan Daily, SakhtAfzarMag (original rumor)